Library grant author warns council: federal funds must be spent, invoiced and documented by end of December 2026

Margarit Miller, who said she wrote the grant that brought federal funds to the library project, told the Chadron City Council that the money has been awarded but must be fully spent, invoiced and documented by the end of December 2026 or the unspent portion will be forfeited.

"The money has been awarded. We have till the end of December of 26 to have everything completed. Completed means not just the work completed, but invoices paid and ... copies have to be submitted to the Department of Economic Development," Miller said. She said the award is federal funding and that, in this grant, extensions are not allowed.

The discussion began as the council considered whether to appoint two council members to a steering committee for the library project. Several council members said they preferred to avoid adding another layer of oversight unless problems arise; they asked staff for a follow-up report next month to confirm work is on schedule.

Resident Nelson Stevens asked a procedural and fiscal question: who would pay contractors if grant-related invoices were not rendered and the grant were lost. Miller responded that the grant administration and the bidding process place responsibility on contractors to meet invoice and timeline requirements and, as she understood it, the city would not be liable unless contract or bidding rules created that obligation. "If you decide to deviate, then somebody ... going to have to pay for it because it's not going to come out of the grant," she said.

Miller and other speakers emphasized that only items explicitly written into the grant can be paid from the award. She said the grant's checklist guided which repairs would be covered; some items on a local needs list (for example, certain parking adjustments) are not eligible unless they were in the submitted grant budget. Miller said certain accessibility work and an exterior light at a back entrance were eligible under the grant and recommended focusing on the items in the grant first. She said a fire suppression system could be funded only after all grant-listed items were completed and paperwork filed.

Councilmembers and participants also discussed that partial completion typically yields reimbursement only for the work certified and invoiced; speakers described the award as structured like a reimbursement grant with some funds provided up front but with invoicing and documentation required for the remainder.

The council did not take formal action on appointments to a steering committee; members instead asked staff and the library foundation for a status update at the next meeting. The discussion closed with a request that the library board, the foundation and city staff coordinate closely to avoid losing funds through missed deadlines or incomplete invoicing.