LAHARPE The community is eyeing additional exercise equipment and an improved kitchen at LaHarpe City Hall.
LaHarpe City Council members gathered in a special meeting Monday to discuss a pending grant application through the Health Forward Foundation.
The application is being filed on the citys behalf by Thrive Allen County and LaHarpe PRIDE.
If successful, the $31,000 grant would continue funding a health and wellness coordinator for the community through 2020; purchase new appliances for the City Hall kitchen and restrooms at LaHarpe City Park; pay for new exercise machines at City Halls fitness center and provide mulch to place around playground equipment and sand for the volleyball court at the park.
The grant requires a 25-percent local match, which the city can offer at no cost to the taxpayers because of a previous Kansas Health Foundation grant that pays for Thrives assistance in a variety of city projects, and with user fees at the fitness center.
While the idea behind the kitchen upgrades was to use City Hall for health and nutrition classes, Councilman David Lee was intrigued about other potential benefits centered on economic development.
Perhaps City Hall could be utilized as a maker space for entrepreneurs to prepare and sell food products, he surmised.
The grant application is due Nov. 2.
If successful, this would be the third Health Forward Foundation grant to benefit the city.
The first paid for a new security system and exercise equipment used to start up the fitness center; the second funded the wellness coordinators position and new, energy-efficient lighting at City Hall.
Linda Womelsdorf, who has been the wellness coordinator since April, noted earlier this month the grant has benefited the city in other ways. With the new lights in place, utility bills at City Hall are on average $300 less expensive each month than in prior years.
