HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A wide variety of requests have been made to the Board of County Commissioners to look at as they prepare to allocate $12,042,385 in ARPA Funds.
Discussing those choices is the topic for a work session Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at the Reno County Annex.
It's worth noting that the ARPA taskforce brought forward childcare issues as the top need in the county and that Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer received a commitment for his equipment request at meetings of the County Commission and City Council last Tuesday.
Here is a list of the requests, according to the meeting agenda:
Childcare – ARPA Taskforce ($12 million)
Housing – Interfaith Housing ($4,465,931)
SCKEDD ($500,000)
Economic Development – Industrial Development Park infrastructure ($1.2 million)
Workforce Development – HCC request for 2 new positions ($500,000)
Nursing Scholarships – Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and HCC ($480,228)
HABIT Infrastructure – Three (3) water projects (unknown total cost, estimate around $265,000)
Haven EMS– Haven has requested equipment purchases ($12,100)
Infrastructure Assistance – City of Buhler sewer lines ($57,000)
Willowbrook Drainage – Request for assistance on water mitigation project (grant for 25% of cost)
City of Hutchinson Fire Department/District #2 – Fire equipment and vehicles ($440,000)
Commissioner Ron Hirst – Rural fire district equipment and materials ($880,000)
Additional ideas discussed without formal requests
Mental Health needs – Stepping Up Council
EMS Station at Arlington – Ambulances are too large for current station
Tourism – Hotel/Motel lost revenue assistance
Yoder and HABIT Infrastructure – Sewer District projects
Reno County Building Needs – Health Department, Emergency Management, and downtown EMS station
Reno County Sheriff’s Office – Discussions of a request to be presented in near future
Contingency – Accounting assistance or other items that come up in the next couple of years