HUMBOLDT — Humboldt’s Downtown Action Team has raised $50,000 the past three years and asked city council members to pledge up to $25,000 so it could seek a $410,000 grant to give the downtown area a major facelift through streetscape improvements.
The local group would be required to put up $82,000 in cash. In addition to cash in hand, the group has pledges of another $10,000.
Council members were receptive, but balked at immediately making a commitment from their Community Development Fund, which contains $93,000.
Vada Aikins proposed the governing body table city participation for a month, to ask for citizen input and also give the DAT time to solicit letters of support from downtown merchants. The motion passed 5-2.
Deadline for the grant, through the Kansas Department of Transportation, is Dec. 31.
Paul Finney noted proponents had spent the past three years planning upgrades and collecting private funds for the local match. He feared the uncertainty of waiting another month for a council decision could have adverse effect on the grant application.
The plan is to erect new light standards and do other infrastructure work around the square and along streets intersecting the area.
Walter Wulf, president and chairman of the board at Monarch Cement Co., said improvements would be important to his company when it recruited professionals.
“We need to present a good face, first impressions are important,” he said.
Joe Works, owner of B&W Trailer Hitches, said a “lot of momentum” was in place from private financial support for the streetscape improvements and that “a lot of capital was spent to build Humboldt and capital is needed to maintain it.”
“This is all for the love of Humboldt,” Finney said.
Planning for the improvements included consultations with architects.
In addition to new light fixtures, brick and brick stenciling would be added to sidewalks to enhance esthetics. Parking along Ninth Street between Bridge and New York would be converted from parallel to diagonal.
DAVID TOLAND, executive director of Thrive Allen County, gave council members a tutorial on a countrywide economic development plan.
The economic development group meets monthly, with funding from Allen County, Iola, Iola Industries and Thrive.
Main focus is threefold:
