- The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce had planned to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to create a downtown business incubator space, but it failed to get off the ground.
- The Chamber and the County have agreed to reallocate the unused ARPA funds toward other local needs.
- Saline County Clerk Jamie Doss made an appeal to the proposed 2024 county budget, asking for another full-time staff member in her office.
A project that aimed to create a business incubation space in downtown Salina has been terminated this week and the funds were reallocated to other local initiatives.
Earlier this year, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce was awarded American Rescue Plan Act funds from the county in an attempt to create a space where local entrepreneurs could test the waters for their business model. The space would have temporarily covered a major startup cost for business owners — real estate.
The county identified several categories of local need where it would use ARPA funding. The funds allocated to the chamber for this project were part of the business and nonprofit recovery category.
After months of searching, the chamber notified the county it was not able to find a suitable place for the incubator and would not be able to use the ARPA funds.
The 2021 ARPA provides direct funding to each county in the United States through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. For Saline County, this amount was $10,532,376.
Saline County sets priorities for CLFRF funds that come available
Termination of the incubator project left $250,000 in funding available to be reallocated. While there are a few projects for which the chamber could use funding, there is not another project within the business and nonprofit recovery category to use the bulk of these funds.
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the county commission decided to reallocate the $250,000 as such:
- Reserve $19,000 for small projects with the chamber.
- $36,000 for security screening on the first floor of the City-County Building.
- $195,000 to assist in ongoing courtroom remodeling.
While the county could have chosen to solicit new projects in the business and nonprofit recovery category, unfunded projects have already been proposed in several other categories. Given this, county administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes suggested the commission prioritize a list of existing proposals in case more CLFRF funds come available.
“Staff has a recommendation that we prioritize these so that not only are we able to reallocate the funding today… but also if there are other projects that have been previously approved … fall out, so to speak, during the remaining term, we are able to go to the next project or projects on the list, get agreements in place and expedite the process,” Smith-Hanes said.
In their vote, the commission also set their list of priorities for unfunded proposed projects:
- A grant program for fire district facilities (up to $500,000).
- Rehabilitation of new space for Salina Grace.
- University housing.
- Medical residency housing rehabilitation.
- Food policy council.
Commissioner Bob Vidricksen excused himself from the reallocation discussion because of a potential conflict of interest as he sits on the Salina Health Education Foundation Board.
Incubator details:A new plan in Salina might give retail and specialty food entrepreneurs a head start
County clerk makes appeal to proposed 2024 county budget
Saline County Clerk Jamie Doss made an appeal to the county’s proposed budget for 2024, asking for an additional full-time staff member.
Doss cited an increase in workload on her department as the main reason for her request.
“We’re having more and more stuff put on us every year, especially on the elections side,” Doss said Tuesday.
The position Doss requested would include an estimated added cost of $49,968.80 per year. This figure includes salary and benefits.
“I believe it is necessary to maintain the quality of our operations and to meet our statutory requirements and goals efficiently and effectively,” Doss wrote in her official appeal document to the commissioners.
In addition to her request for additional staff, Doss requested the county conduct a staffing analysis to provide insight into current and future staffing needs. The commission will have until July 18 to decide on the appeal.
Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022. You can reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter @calfee_kc.
