Lincolnville volunteers hear about Kan-Step grant process
City has 18 months before
old building is shut down
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Marilyn Graham, the facilitator of Kan-Step grants provided through Kansas Department of Commerce (KDC), appeared at an informational meeting Thursday with volunteers at the Lincolnville community building.
Approximately 83 adults were in attendance, including tradesmen from Lincolnville and the surrounding communities. At least 84 people have signed the volunteer list.
Graham said she wanted to see face-to-face those who are willing to give of their time and expertise to assist in erecting a new community building.
"It takes community-minded people," she said.
After Galen Chizek questioned the need for a new building, Graham asked for a show of hands from those who want a new building. A majority raised their hands.
City clerk Jane Pigorsch reminded everyone that the city council voted in August not to put any more money into the present community building.
The state fire marshal had inspected the building and granted the city two more years to use the building as is after fire doors and emergency lighting were installed. Monthly reports are required to be sent to the state to report structural changes, if any.
Graham said two things are needed to make a Kan-Step project successful: 1) volunteers with expertise and 2) leaders.
She said the Lincolnville community has a history of working together, and the town has qualified income-wise for a Kan-Step grant.
She called for someone to be willing to be a "spark plug" for the project, to see that things get done.
She explained the process. An architect who works for KDC will meet with the "core" committee to determine what the community wants in a building.
Members of the core committee are John Chizek, Dave Schneider, Jane Pigorsch, Anita Svoboda, Gail Makovec, Glenn Carlson, and Brian Owens.
The architect will draw up a floor plan, review the volunteer list, and estimate project costs including demolition of the old building and materials and labor for a new building.
At least 40 percent of the total cost must be supplied by the community through donated time, material, and/or money. Any labor not provided by volunteers will need to be bid out.
The amount of the grant will be determined by the total cost of the project. The maximum grant a project can receive is $400,000. KDCH will provide 60 percent of the total cost, which will include grant writer, architect, administrator, and inspection fees.
When the grant is approved, the community will have two years to complete the project, although the fire marshal's mandate, as stated above, will shorten the deadline.
During a question-and-answer session, Graham made it clear that a community building provided through a Kan-Step grant cannot be used to conduct government business, such as city or township meetings. It cannot include city offices. It is meant to be used by the people of the community.
"It's up to you to decide if it's something you want badly enough to donate your time and labor to it," Graham repeatedly emphasized. "You have to know what you want."
The discussion continued after Graham left, under the leadership of Mayor Victor Burns.
Kathy Bloom requested that a storm shelter be included in the new building. Dan Peterson said he had seen the "beautiful" Burns community building and felt that it added a lot to the town.
Dave Schneider said an air-conditioned building would attract much more use than the current building.
Gary Diepenbrock volunteered to demolish the old building with his equipment. He said he could do it in about an hour.
The evening seemed to generate genuine interest in the proposed project, and individuals continued to discuss it among themselves as the meeting came to a close.
According to Pigorsch, the list of volunteers along with details of their areas of expertise will be sent to Graham for her perusal before a meeting with the architect is planned.
The State of Kansas annually provides 20 million dollars of taxpayer money for community development block grants. One million of that is designated for Kan-Step grants.
