Pratt County commissioners OK HEAL grant application, KDOT striping supplement and several EMS contracts

Pratt County commissioners voted during a regularly scheduled meeting to have the county apply for a state HEAL grant on behalf of Woody’s, accept state funds and supplemental agreements for road striping, approve a bridge-inspection contract and authorize several emergency-services repairs and maintenance contracts.

The commission approved a motion to let the county serve as the municipal applicant for a HEAL grant to support returning Woody’s to retail restaurant use. "It's a 1 to 1 match grant up to $75,000," Heather (Speaker 3) said, adding that the county would act as a pass-through and that she would help write the application. Speaker 1 moved the motion and the commission voted "aye."

On infrastructure, Speaker 2 told commissioners the state would pay up to $650,000 for a road striping project, with the county responsible for any modest overrun. The commission moved and approved the supplemental agreement to execute the striping work. The body also approved a biannual bridge-inspection contract with the contractor recorded in the meeting transcript as "Kirk and Michael" (contractor name appears inconsistently in the record).

The commission agreed to sign a Kansas Department of Transportation letter of commitment for a FY26 public-transportation local match of $38,506 and to execute required Title VI certifications and assurances for the grant. "We're gonna obtain a motion to sign the certifications and insurances," Speaker 1 said; the motion was approved.

On emergency services, commissioners approved a one-year preventive-maintenance contract for power cots and load systems covering all four ambulances for $13,401.20 after Speaker 5 explained the contract would cover parts and labor and could prevent larger replacement costs. Later, commissioners authorized a $4,518 repair to a ventilator whose pump compressor failed; the vendor name in the record appears as variations of ZOLL/"ZO Medical," which is noted in the record as inconsistent.

The commission held several executive sessions (tax-foreclosure, non-elected personnel and ARPA attorney-client matters) and unanimously exited each with no action taken, according to the meeting record. The meeting concluded after commissioners approved routine minutes and voucher payments and then adjourned.

Why it matters: The actions clear the way for a locally backed grant application that could reopen a downtown business, advance a state-funded road safety project, and address near-term maintenance needs for emergency medical equipment. The decisions also lock in county obligations for KDOT grant requirements and routine contracting that affect budget and service continuity.

Next steps: Heather will assist the Woody’s owner with the HEAL grant application; county staff will execute signed agreements for the road striping and bridge inspections; EMS staff will schedule the ventilator repair and start the preventive-maintenance contract.