HUMBOLDT Fresh off the announcement of being awarded a $1.08 million grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation for the Last Mile Project, Beth Barlow went before Humboldts city council on Tuesday night to answer questions about the next step.
This project should run around $1.5 million. We dont have exact plans at this time, but our next step is to hire an engineering firm, Barlow said.
She said the $1.5 million is the estimated cost of the sidewalk, a traffic calmer and a parking lot at the trailhead. Barlow said once she receives the engineers recommendations she will update the council.
It will be a multi-use sidewalk to accommodate both walkers and bikers.
I applaud her for getting this grant, city administrator Cole Herder said. A lot of work had to go into this in a short amount of time. This will help with mobility and safety and economic development. Now people wont have to turn around and go back to Iola from the trailhead, now they have access to our downtown.
Barlow said the project is aimed to attract younger people to the town by giving them access to running and biking paths to use.
Herder took time to thank Humboldt citizens for turning out to vote in the election.
He said the new sales tax will go into effect on April 1.
Herder said he intends to approach the county to assist with new sidewalks because their equipment is more capable.
THE GROCERY store has yet to undergo renovations because the site needs to be rezoned from commercial to heavy industrial, Herder said.
In regards to criticisms that the grocery stores butcher shop will be a slaughterhouse, Herder said, Some of the things you hear or think about with a slaughterhouse, that they are all big, smelly plants that slaughter thousands of animals are not true. That is not the case with this particular place. It will handle a small, manageable amount animals just a few a day and only on certain days of the week, Herder said. There is not going to be a stockyard where they hold animals overnight. It should be a very clean process.
Herder said the carcasses would be put into containers and hauled out every day.
A public meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 18 will discuss the grocery store. It will be held downstairs at the city hall.
