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County commissioner outlines grants, emergency services upgrades and warns of $50 million budget gap
Summary
County Commissioner Denise Treehouse told Terrace Park officials the county has expanded grant programs for small businesses and events, highlighted retrofits for emergency management and 911 facilities, and said the county faces a roughly $50 million budget gap as it negotiates department requests.
County Commissioner Denise Treehouse visited the Village of Terrace Park council meeting on Oct. 8 to renew outreach to local jurisdictions and to spotlight county grants and services available to small communities.
"I'm Denise Treehouse. I'm doing what I call my 49 and 49," Treehouse said, describing a renewed effort to meet with all 49 jurisdictions to promote partnership opportunities. She drew the council's attention to a "menu" of county grant programs, including a community revitalization grant, an event grant, a facade grant for business districts and a residential recycling innovation grant that Terrace Park has used in prior years.
Treehouse said the county is also investing in emergency operations and communications. She noted the county is "retrofitting a building in Springdale" to improve conditions for emergency management agency staff and 911 operators, efforts she said are aimed at recruiting and retaining personnel. She named Nick Crossley as the emergency management director and Andy Knapp as the communications center director.
On county finances, Treehouse put a blunt figure on the challenges ahead: "Our budget gap... is $50,000,000," she said, adding that department requests for personnel and services are being reviewed as officials seek to close that gap. She said programs and grants can be vulnerable in a tight budget, but that many remain priorities.
Mayor Teppi thanked Treehouse for attending and noted Terrace Park has leveraged county and federal support in past years. Treehouse encouraged council members to review the county's grant listings and apply where appropriate, while also offering to continue conversations about sewer issues and other infrastructure needs.
The visit concluded with an invitation for follow-up: Treehouse said she would reach out to the village office to continue discussions on infrastructure and MSD-related topics.
