Stimulus funds allow work to start in Humboldt

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter
HUMBOLDT — Work will start soon on remodeling Humboldt’s new city hall, said Humboldt administrator Larry Tucker.
“The first thing we’ve had to do is order an elevator for the building,” he said.
Humboldt purchased the former Emprise Bank building at 725 Bridge St. in January.
“They’re estimating actual construction will start at the end of May,” Tucker said of Hofer and Hofer Construction of Humboldt, which was hired to complete the work.
Funding for the remodel came from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office through a community facilities loan and grant.
Humboldt will receive $200,000 in loan funds plus another $70,000 in grant money from Rural Development.
“It’s all provided through our stimulus funding from President Obama,” said Charles Heath, USDA Area Specialist for Southeast Kansas.
“One great thing is we’re able to provide the grant because it doesn’t raise taxes for the residents,” Heath said.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are approved “based on a community’s financial capacity — what we think they could afford to borrow,” Heath said. “We also base it on median household income,” Heath noted. Humboldt’s median income is $30,625.
Heath said the loan/grant package is unique in that it’s “the only program I know of that can fund city hall” projects.
Mulberry, in Crawford County, is using the same program to build a new city hall, he noted.
“It’s great for communities in southeast Kansas because most of them don’t have a lot of residents so they can’t raise a lot of money in taxes” to fund such projects, Heath said.
Humboldt was officially approved for the funds March 31.
Distribution occurs after construction and remodel work is complete, Heath said.
“If it’s a complete grant, we’ll advance the funds right away,” he noted.
Work should be completed by September, Tucker said.
Humboldt will repay the loan over 30 years through issuance of general obligation bonds.
In addition to the elevator, space for the city clerk and police department will be included in the structure. A door will be added to the north end of the building, interior walls restructured and “in May, we’ll be discussing some additional heating and air work” for the building, Tucker said. “We’ll have a proposal for that at our May (City Council) meeting.” he noted.
Once completed, the structure will also provide a community meeting room plus “about 4,000 square feet of unfinished space in the basement that will be utilized as a public storm shelter,” Tucker said. That area will be accessible by both stairs and elevator, Tucker noted. The building will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant upon completion of the remodel, Tucker noted.

HEATH said additional stimulus funds are available in southeast Kansas, and urged other communities to apply. Public bodies and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding.
Heath can be reached at the USDA Rural Development office in Iola at 365-2901. More information can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks or at the state office at 785-271-2700.