County board approves awarding Wind Farm funds
The Cloud County board of commissioners approved awarding a total of $238,855 in Meridian Way Wind Farm dollars, provided by EDP Renewables, to help fund 17 projects in the county, during its regular meeting on Monday.
EDP Renewables again provided Cloud County with a gift of $300,000 to be used to support innovative projects that enhance the quality of life, prosperity and safety of the citizens of Cloud County by creating additional educational, recreational, social, health, community development and economic opportunities for them and for existing and new businesses.
The board of commissioners received 18 applications for funds totaling more than $400,000.
Projects receiving Wind Farm funds include:
Cloud Corp - $80,000 to support the Get in the Cloud small businesses grant program.
City of Concordia, in collaboration with Cloud County Community College - $30,000 to install a synthetic turf infield on Doyen Field at the Concordia Sports Complex.
Concordia Senior Center - $15,000 to remove 2,670 square-feet of old flooring and asbestos and the installation of new flooring.
City of Glasco - $14,000 to support and upgrade the fueling station. The city needs to make the gas pumps EMV compliant.
City of Jamestown - $8,500 to replace one of three storm sirens that notify residents of storms and fires.
City of Clyde - $8,000 for park improvement projects that include new energy-efficient lighting for the basketball/tennis courts, additional ADA compliant sidewalks and engineered wood fiber mulch for all playground areas.
National Orphan Train Complex - $8,000 in financial support to cover utilities at the complex.
Clyde Fire Department - $5,000 to replace bunker gear for six firefighters.
Cloud County Fair Board - $5,000 to finish installing metal panels on the exterior walls at the Commercial Building at the Cloud County Fairgrounds.
Brown Grand Theatre - $3,000 for addition of 2.5-gallon water heaters for the primary restrooms on the main floor and to replace a wooden staircase leading to the basement.
9/11 Tribute Heroes Weekend - $3,000 for the planned Heroes Weekend scheduled for September 9-11 at the Cloud County Fairgrounds.
Guardians of the St. Joseph Church - $2,500 to clean, repair and paint all of the lower windows on the church.
Cloud County Fair Board - $1,000 to help cover the cost of renting outdoor games from Waters True Value Rentals, Salina, for the Cloud County Fair. The Fair Board was notified that WEEE Entertainment would be unable to provide the carnival rides for the fair and announced plans for the outdoor games.
Also approved by the commission was appropriating $22,500 of the Wind Farm funds to the Cloud County Recycling Center and $22,500 to Cloud County Emergency Preparedness to help offset the financial impact of the operational costs to the county's general fund, using $6,355 to refurbish the Civil War cannon on the Cloud County Courthouse lawn and funding the Rural Opportunity Zone for one year at a cost of $4,500.
The commission is withholding some of the funds to possibly use for the ongoing repairs at the Cloud County Law Enforcement Center.