HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners gave approval to join Interfaith Housing in a joint effort to secure funding to deal with environmental issues at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital property. The agency hopes to secure $5 million for the project.
Under the agreement the county will shoot for some EPA funding to take care of some of the issues facing the old hospital. The building must be owned by a government entity to acquire the funding so the county is acting in that capacity. Under the agreement, Interfaith will pay for all expenses associated with the grant and will also cover all liability on the building. Once the project is complete, the county will hand the building back over to Interfaith.
Since acquiring the property in June 2016, Interfaith has been denied two Kansas Housing Resources Corporation grants. Interfaith says if the property can be improved upon they have no less than three available redevelopment options for improving the property.
Also Tuesday, the commission approved a contract with Hutton Construction for engineering and design work on the new county shooting range. The vote was 2-1 with Commissioner Ron Sellers voting no. Sellers had expressed concern that the project has grown out of proportion to what was originally planned adding too much expense to the proposed facility.
Commissioner Ron Hirst noted that a little more expanded facility could be utilized for other things such as an emergency meeting area if needed. The shooting range will be located just south of the landfill and will provide training in all types of shooting scenarios for the sheriff’s department and outside agencies.
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