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Coffey County coordinates letters to federal lawmakers and monitors CHIPS awards; local application remains under review
Summary
County officials prepared signed letters to U.S. senators and the congressman-elect to support local CHIPS-related work and reviewed a public map of awards showing few Midwest grants; the county's application remains under consideration.
Commissioners approved preparing letters addressed to U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall and to Congressman-elect Derek Schmidt, with space to include the county and local mayors. Staff said Representative-elect Brad Barrett had provided a Word version of the letter and that the county would merge mayoral names into it and circulate copies for signatures.
County staff described a plan to collect email addresses for mayors, ask them to sign three letters (one to each federal official), and to arrange signings at next Monday's meeting or at short visits to each city. The meeting record shows staff offered to call mayors, provide the letter in advance and arrange a 9:05 a.m. signing slot for those who can come to the courthouse.
Separately, staff walked the commission through the CHIPS funding updates and awards map published on the federal website, noting many awards clustered on the coasts and few in the central U.S. Staff said Coffee County's application had been submitted and, as of the meeting, had neither been approved nor declined.
No award decision for the local application was announced at the meeting. County staff encouraged continued outreach to federal representatives and city mayors to support the county's application materials.
