Allen County commissioners Rob Francis and Gary McIntosh — Dick Works was absent — told Humboldt representatives Tuesday they were hard pressed regarding helping with funding of a street project on the east side of Humboldt.
Humboldt Administrator Larry Tucker said the project would entail improvement, including asphalt overlay, of Bridge Street from Humboldt High School east to 13th Street, north to Central and then east across the old Santa Fe Railroad tracks onto Georgia Road, a hard-surfaced artery that connects Humboldt to Elsmore and LaHarpe.
Tucker said improvements would help prevent street damage by heavy grain trucks, particularly those coming from the west bound for Beachner Grain’s dump point east of the tracks. Also, he said, the upgraded route would better serve school buses and those commuting to the high school from east of Humboldt.
About 80 percent of the project would be funded by state and federal money channeled through Kansas Department of Transportation, which designated the route as an main arterial for the town. Estimated cost, which Tucker noted could change significantly with bidding, is $420,000. At that amount, Humboldt would be responsible for $95,000, including engineering.
The county was asked to contribute $10,000. Humboldt has identified $75,000 in accessible local funds.
County commissioners were sympathetic, but noted the Public Works Department budget had been stretched almost to the breaking point.
“If you take any more, it’s probably going to have to come from my salary,” said Bill King, Public Works director.
Commissioners said they would respond to Humboldt’s request sometime in September.
Meanwhile, the county got back — at least on paper — $50,000 it had committed to Humboldt to help fund construction of a new senior center. Tucker said the city was unsuccessful in attracting Community Development Block Grant money for the project.
“The only structure that was funded this cycle was a fire station,” he said. “The rest went for water and sewer projects.”
Having the $50,000 back doesn’t mean it would be available for Humboldt’s street project, McIntosh was quick to note.
“That money would have come from the senior services fund,” and that it’s expenditure is limited to things to do directly with senior citizens, he said.
IN A RELATED matter, commissioners visited Iola’s senior center, 204 N. Jefferson, to inspect floor tiles in the front of the center that have excessive tile cement at the surface.
The problem has been evident since the tiles were laid nearly three years ago, commissioners were told, and repeated efforts to clean them have been for naught. Tile in the back of the building, installed at the same time, is fine.
Commissioners said they would visit with Home Detail, which supplied the tile and arranged for its installation.
