BY LUCIE KRISMAN
Eudora will receive $897,000 in funding as part of allocations from the American Rescue Plan, city management analyst Jeff Rhodes told city commissioners at Monday’s meeting.
Kansas received a total of $1.6 billion through the plan and allocations for cities were based on population size. The city will receive funding directly through the Kansas Office of Recovery and it will come in two payments over two years.
Although funds from the plan are partly intended for COVID-19 recovery, it will also be used for work on water, wastewater and broadband infrastructure. Rhodes said a strategic plan will be formed in the coming weeks and months for how specifically the funding will be prioritized.
“It’s a big thing,” Rhodes said. “It’s not every day you get almost $1 million just for being you.”
Additionally, commissioners heard from architect Dan Rockhill about a possible new redevelopment project on Main Street. Eudora resident Steven Bogler, after purchasing the property for $100,000, would turn 840 Main St. into apartments with an additional retail space on the lower level.
The property is currently occupied by the city and is used for storage. Pending approval from the city, Bogler intends to pursue a CDBG-CR grant before proceeding with the project.
Rockhill said this project is part of a plan that has been in the works to design a gateway to Eudora’s downtown at the corner of Ninth Street at Main Street and CPA Park. It was originally presented to commissioners in 2018. Although the project must be approved for grant funding before it officially begins, commissioners expressed optimism about what the new occupant of the old public safety building could mean for downtown.
“I think it’ll just do nothing but help us long-term,” Mayor Tim Reazin said. “As much as I like being a firefighter and knowing that I served there, I appreciate that it's going to be used for something different.”
“I am very happy about moving this project forward,” Vice Mayor Ruth Hughs said. “It needs to be improved. We need to get it on the tax rolls, and it is step one of that whole big plan and hope that we have for Main Street and for fixing the park.”
In other news, the city announced Monday the hiring of a new assistant city manager. Kevyn Gero will begin her role as assistant city manager on April 12. She will take on Human Resources functions for the city and oversee the City Clerk’s office, Municipal Court, and the Planning, Zoning, Building, and Codes Department. Her background includes work for the city of Lawrence.
Reach reporter Lucie Krisman at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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