Pratt County officials press on Sawyer gas, housing study after $4 million grant filing

Pratt County commissioners heard an update on ongoing economic development work that county staff said seeks to protect gas service to the City of Sawyer and to position the county for state housing dollars.

An official identified in the meeting as Tyson told commissioners that PAEDC recently heard from Network Kansas about last‑dollar financing for entrepreneurs and that staff are preparing a request for proposals for a housing study required to compete for Kansas Housing Resources grants. "Suffice it to say that this has been a very complicated issue," the speaker said, adding that the county submitted an application Friday under a $4,000,000 Kansas Corporation Commission grant program on behalf of the City of Sawyer and was coordinating with legislators, the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Kansas Municipalities Association.

The presenter warned the commission that sustained gas service to Sawyer is critical for local employers; he named All American Trucking and other carriers as businesses dependent on the supply and said multiple follow‑up meetings were planned in coming days. No formal action was taken on the grant or the housing study during the meeting.

Commissioners also discussed a possible assisted‑living development that is in land‑acquisition and financing stages; the presenter said the prospective developer had inquired about local incentives and was close to moving forward. No incentive package or approval was voted on at the session.

The county did not provide a timeline for the housing study RFP or detail the grant application’s next procedural steps at the meeting. Commissioners said they are continuing to pursue meetings with state partners to try to secure a favorable outcome for Sawyer.