County discusses Safe Streets for All grant administration; staff proposes Flint Hills Regional Council contract

Staff told commissioners the county has applied for a Safe Streets for All grant and is awaiting a grant agreement. She said the Kansas Department of Transportation will be the pass-through agency for the federal funds and that the county should prepare for competitive bidding for contractors if the grant is awarded.

To manage the considerable reporting and compliance burden, staff proposed contracting with the Flint Hills Regional Council as a grant administrator on an as‑needed, two‑year basis. "I'd like to have a signed contract with the Flint Hills Regional Council," she said, noting the council's experience with NEPA, competitive bidding and prior Safe Streets projects. Staff also said an amount of $45,000 for grant-administration work had already been approved under the Safe Streets budget and suggested typical hourly rates discussed in the meeting would be competitive for that work.

Commissioners discussed whether the regional council would need its membership approval to enter the contract and whether the county could list a pending contract in the grant submission. Staff suggested noting the contract as pending if the council's internal approval process had not concluded by the grant deadline.