Allen County Commissioners signed off on a grant application Tuesday that will go towards paying emergency management salaries.
Jason Trego, emergency management director, said the application is submitted yearly. Last year the county received “about $23,000” from the grant, Trego said.
Dwindling federal reimbursement for the funds has state officials concerned, Trego said.
“The feds have continually lowered the amount they are designating for states to distribute out to counties,” he said.
Despite this, Trego noted Kansas has not reduced the amount it is distributing, but expects that scenario to eventually change.
“We will eventually see a drop in that $23,000,” he said, predicting it could be up to a 10% cut.
“It’s highly dependent on how many counties participate in the program,” Trego explained. “Some counties come into the program for just a couple of years, while other counties leave the program. That affects how many pieces of the pie are split up.”
Commissioners discussed delays on the installation of a storm siren by Blue Valley Public Safety in Mildred.
“When the siren installers were getting ready to place the new utility pole, they ran into some rock,” Trego said. Blue Valley recommended Great Plains Drilling Inc. out of Kansas City, Mo., remove the rock. Their bid came in at $8,500. “That’s kind of high,” said Commissioner David Lee. “I’ve had some holes dug and I didn’t pay near this.”
The commission suggested Trego seek out more bids.
TREGO also discussed the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans being offered through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans would be available to Kansas businesses and residents affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 25-30.
SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster in response to a request SBA received from Governor Laura Kelly on Sept. 10. This rural disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available to both rural non-rural areas in Allen, Bourbon, and Linn counties. Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. Disaster loans of up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.
Interest rates can be as low as 4% for the business loans; 3.25% for private nonprofit organizations; and 2.688% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years.
Trego clarified the money must be used specifically for repairs from the storm.
IN OTHER NEWS, Loren Korte and Terry Sparks of the Allen County Regional Hospital board introduced the new hospital administrator, William “Pat” Patton.
