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Chase County staff report federal portal glitch delayed tornado-siren grant submission; volunteer-fire and camera grants underway
Summary
County staff said a technical outage at the Rural Travel Assistance portal could require resubmission of a tornado-siren grant application; commissioners heard updates on a competitive volunteer-firefighter grant and a camera proposal for the sheriff's office.
County staff told commissioners March 31 that a Rural Travel Assistance (RTA) portal outage and subsequent closure may force resubmissions for a tornado-siren funding request that staff believed had been submitted early.
Staff reported they had prepared a federal application asking roughly $469,000 toward county siren and storm-warning upgrades, and that the RTA program had a $27 million funding pool with awards capped in the $200,000–$700,000 range. The portal opened briefly March 18 and staff said their team transmitted materials by about 1:17 a.m.; federal administrators later sent a notice that the portal had been closed due to technical difficulties and that applicants may need to resubmit when it reopens. Staff advised daily checks of the portal and said they would pursue other state or regional funding paths if necessary.
Commissioners also heard a brief update on a volunteer-firefighter assistance grant that carries a local match. Staff said the county’s portion would be $4,998 toward three pumps; the application required personnel and budget details and an upfront qualification step to demonstrate volunteer status. Staff said the department expects to qualify and submit the application.
A separate community-safety proposal submitted to the pipeline association would fund a road-side camera for the sheriff’s office, staff said; the proposal sought funding for the camera and two years of contract service. Staff indicated the camera grant is a lower-dollar, nonfederal opportunity tied to private association funding and public-safety camera placement.
Commissioners discussed contingency planning if the federal portal requires resubmission, coordination with engineering firms for project quotes and timing for construction season, and the need to time grant requests to seasonal construction windows. Staff said they will continue to pursue federal funds while also tracking state technical-assistance opportunities and earlier-stage regional grants.
