NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners on Tuesday approved the ARPA Subrecipient Agreement with Interfaith Housing for $4,000,000 and the ARPA Subrecipient Agreement with United Way of Reno County for $4,500,000 for childcare.
The Interfaith agreement now is a dedicated funding stream to turn the houses they buy and fix into places that will be on the tax rolls.
"We would separate the proceeds from acquisition and rehab into a specific reserve," said Clint Nelson with Interfaith Housing. "These would be utilized to revolve all with the intent of being homebuyer units and ending up on the tax roll."
On the childcare side, the concerns from the commission have to do with what happens after the four year period being funded with these dollars.
"We're already looking at different ways for long-term sustainability," said Denice Gilliland with the United Way. "For our task force leadership team, that is their job, to specifically look at how do we move forward and sustain for our childcare providers."
Commissioner Randy Parks ultimately voted for the programs as presented, because the groundwork had already been laid before he was elected to serve, but he did note that there are other ways the money could have been spent.
"I feel like some of the funds in the ARPA should probably have gone to some of these capital outlay projects, whether we approve this or don't approve this," Parks said. "I want people to know that. We have some big things coming up that we have to go some miles to fix. I know we have needs in the community with both of these things from Interfaith and in the childcare. My concern was about what we did with it, if we were going to go forward with it."
The agreements were both approved 5-0.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.