County board awards $374,500 in Wind Farm funds

The Cloud County board of commissioners awarded a total of $374,500 in Meridian Way Wind Farm funds to 17 proposed projects during its regular meeting on Monday.
Cloud County received an annual gift of $300,000 in Wind Farm dollars from EDP Renewables North America earlier this year. The funds are to be used to support innovative projects that enhance quality of life, prosperity and safety of the citizens of the county by creating additional educational, recreational, social, health, community development and economic opportunities for them and for existing and new businesses.
The county board received 32 requests for funds with a total amount requested of $948,564.79.
The total estimated project cost of the projects is $2,128,035.44.
CloudCorp was awarded a total of $160,000 in funds with $150,000 going to support the Get in the Cloud small business grant program and $10,000 going to establish an economic development tool chest.
Cloud Corp had requested a total of $175,000 in funds.
The Get in the Cloud program provides competitive grants and mentoring support for new and existing businesses.
Applicants who complete the educational component and who own an existing business located in the county or are developing a business concept will be eligible to apply for a one-time grant of 50 percent of the start-up costs or $50,000, whichever is less, to fund eligible expenses.
The economic development tool chest will be used to aid existing businesses with expansion and new businesses with development.
The county board approved awarding $75,000 to Cloud County Health Center to help cover the costs of adding an MRI suite to the new hospital being constructed on College Drive.
Cloud County Health Center does not currently have a permanent MRI and relies on a traveling truck.
Construction of the MRI suite is the first step in the two-step process and has an estimated cost of $600,000.
The cost of purchasing the MRI machine is estimated to be $900,000.
Cloud County Health Center had requested $150,000 for the project.
Other projects awarded Wind Farm Funds include:
The Glasco VFW Post 7697, $2,500 to assist in paying to replace the roof on the building.
City of Clyde, $30,000 to rehabilitate a building in the downtown area.
The Aurora Knights of Columbus Council #2214, $6,000 to support the ongoing Aurora Opera House preservation project. The original entrance will be replaced and reopened and the front facade will be painted.
Jamestown Country Club, $3,000 to assist with the installing of a six-hole golf course located west of the Jamestown City Park.
Cloud County Fair Board, $2,000 to help construct a new sidewalk connecting the commercial building, Hosie Building and Ayers Shelter and $3,000 to discount pre-sold carnival tickets from $20 to $15 for the 2021 Cloud County Fair.
The Cloud County Resource Center, $2,500 to upgrade tables and chairs at the Event Center.
Clifton-Clyde Unified School District 224, $5,000 to update equipment in the metal shop.
The Clyde Area Foundation, $3,500 to help provide grants to organizations in Clyde and the surrounding area.
The C&R Rural Fire District #1, $20,000 to help with the purchase of a new fire truck.
The Concordia Senior Center, $12,500 to assist with updates to the facility.
The Cloud County Recycling Center, $22,500 and Cloud County Emergency Preparedness, $22,500 to aid in minimizing the impact of the operational costs to the county's general fund.
Rural Opportunity Zone, $4,500.
Also during the meeting the board reviewed sealed bids for 10 tracts of land the county has acquired from prior tax sales. The tracts and number of bids received include:
Tract 1, 104 Lurton St., Miltonvale, one; Tract 2, 0 Ash St., Miltonvale, three; Tract 3, 319 West Fifth St., Concordia, zero; Tract 4, 502 West Second St., Concordia, three; Tract 5, 317-319 West Third St., Concordia, three; Tract 6, 301 East First St, Concordia, four; Tract 7 & 8, 0 East 11th Street, Concordia, zero; Tract 9, 0 Cemetery Road, Glasco, three; Tract 10, 0 Main Street, Glasco, zero.
It was decided that County Clerk Shella Thoman will contact the city of Jamestown and ask if they are interested in the property at Main and Birch.
The board approved accepting the following bids:
Tract 1, Amie K. Wolf/William F. Follmer, $225; Tract 2, Robyn Howard, $2,250; Tract 4, Cassel Rock Inc., $679; Tract 5, David Walker, $200; Tract 6, Cassel Rock Inc., $594; Tract 9, Anthony and/or Jennifer Tobald, $1,225.
The board approved deeding Tract 7 & 8 to the city of Concordia.
Andy Asch, Highway Department administrator, met with the board and reported that he would be meeting in Ames with Coughlin Company on Tuesday to discuss road work on the Ames/Miltonvale Road.
The board approved the hiring of Jay Rhudolph as a full-time equipment operator, effective May 3, at an introductory rate of $15 for six months. The hiring fills an empty position.
Jerlynn Johnston and Deb Czapanskiy met with the board and discussed a meeting on the Kansas Nebraska Heritage Area Partnership in Clay Center.
County Attorney Rob Walsh and paralegal Vicki Kopsa discussed the steps of a tax sale for properties that have delinquent taxes with the board.
Henry Eilert, Maintenance manager, met with the board and discussed purchasing a pressure washer and replacing the lighting around the courthouse.
The commissioners suggested checking to see if one of the other departments already had a pressure washer. They also asked what a rental would cost.
Eilert will get some ideas for lighting and report back to the board.
The board approved payroll deductions and benefits totaling $198,243.76 and the following payroll expenses totaling $161,416.27:
General Fund, $84,274.08; Road & Bridge, $40,704.39; Appraisal, $5,382.40; County Health, $22,104.75; Noxious Weed, $1,763.96; Election, $1,536.92; Solid Waste, $5,649.77.