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County staff reports shift to housing focus, gas grant work for Sawyer and $600,000 state bridge match
Summary
A county staff member reported the local economic development group ended a façade program to prioritize a countywide housing assessment (estimated four months), is assisting Sawyer on a KCC natural-gas grant application due Oct. 15, and said the state awarded $600,000 for a bridge with a county match of $125,000.
Heather, identified in the meeting record as making the economic-development report, told the commissioners that the Pratt Area Economic Development Corporation is ending its façade-improvement program and shifting toward housing initiatives. Heather said the authority approved a housing-assessment survey and plans to meet with Kansas Housing Resources (KHRC) to determine program eligibility; she estimated hiring a firm could take about four months from start to finish.
"So the PADC will be moving in that direction going forward," Heather said, describing potential grant programs ranging from multifamily and low-income housing to middle-income options and developer tax-credit incentives. She said the housing assessment will cover both the city of Pratt and smaller communities across Pratt County so those jurisdictions can apply for state housing funds.
Heather also discussed a Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) natural-gas distribution grant program that would affect the city of Sawyer. She said the initial application is simple but a rate study will be necessary and the application deadline is Oct. 15. Heather described outreach to neighboring towns and to the KCC to determine whether the three eligible communities could coordinate a single RFP or must submit separate applications.
On infrastructure funding, Heather said the state’s infrastructure hub will provide matching funds for projects tied to federal BIL grants and that regional project coordinators are available to assist local applicants. She reported the state awarded $600,000 for a bridge project near Ninetieth Street about seven miles west of Coats and said the county’s share would be $125,000.
Commissioners asked whether a joint application among the three communities would be possible; Heather said the KCC had envisioned three separate applications but she is exploring whether joint procurement or a steering committee could improve efficiency.
Next steps reported: staff will pursue the housing assessment procurement process, assist the city of Sawyer with the gas-grant application and rate study, and follow up on potential BIL-match opportunities via the state infrastructure hub.
