Riley County authorizes staff to apply for 'Home in the Heartland' Make My Move grant

Riley County commissioners on July 17 authorized staff to proceed with a contract and the grant application for the Home in the Heartland “Make My Move” relocation program, directing staff to negotiate contract terms that could prioritize rural placements and return to the commission with additional details as needed.

The move approves pursuing a two‑year program in which Riley County’s 20% match is $46,771 total; Britney Phillips, budget and finance officer, told the commission that "$15,000 of that is in‑kind funding for the local program owner" and that the remaining $31,771 would be the county's hard cash obligation.

The program administrator will receive 50% of the grant award up front if the state approves the application, Phillips said, with the remaining 50% released after the program reaches 50% of its relocation goal. The grant as presented sets the relocation goal at 10 households.

Commissioners and staff debated how the program would be implemented locally and whether the effort should focus on Riley County’s rural areas rather than primarily in Manhattan. Jacob Hansen, interim Riley County counselor, said the $46,000 figure "is the total for the 2 years" and described the county’s role as primarily to sign the contract and support application submission. Amanda Webb, planning director, cautioned that her office is already at capacity and that the additional administrative tasks "would really be a stretch for us to be able to successfully accomplish" without either additional staff or a partner organization taking on much of the operational work.

Several commissioners urged staff to negotiate contract language that would encourage use of the program in rural communities and to seek chamber or other partners to perform heavy recruitment and day‑to‑day program management. Commissioners asked staff to ask the contractor whether the award can be capped for Manhattan placements; Phillips said staff would investigate whether the grant terms permit a cap. Commissioners also asked staff to confirm whether the chamber of commerce would take on lead local outreach and daily coordination.

Staff noted the timeline: applications will be reviewed by the state in the coming weeks, with an informal expectation (not a state deadline) for award decisions in late summer; county funds would not be used until after state funds are awarded and, if used, the earliest county expenditures would likely occur in the first quarter of next year (late February–March), Phillips said.

After the discussion, the commission voted to authorize staff to proceed with both the contractual obligations and the grant application for the Make My Move/Home in the Heartland program. The motion was seconded and approved (vote recorded as "Aye"; exact tally not specified in the public transcript).

The authorization directs staff to: (1) submit the grant application on behalf of Riley County, (2) return with proposed contract language that attempts to prioritize rural placements or set caps on Manhattan allocations if allowable under the grant, (3) verify whether the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce or other partners will accept the primary local operational role, and (4) return to the commission with any recommended contract amendments or further budget amendments if needed.

The commission and staff repeatedly emphasized that state funds would be used first and that any county expenditures would depend on state award and program performance. Phillips said the grant manager would invoice the grant fund for program costs, and unused state funds would revert to the state per grant rules.

The item will return for a formal business item and contract signature on the commission agenda on Monday; staff will report back to the commission on the chamber's willingness to manage local operations and any possible contract revisions.

Ending: Commissioners approved the application step to pursue state funding under Home in the Heartland while directing staff to seek contract language and partner commitments aimed at increasing the program’s rural impact and limiting unintentional concentration of incentives within Manhattan.