Letter to the Editor 3-6-20

Dear Editor:
The Cloud County Commissioners will soon be making their decisions regarding the use of the Wind Farm Funds. While I know there are many projects deserving of this funding, I would like to encourage the Commissioners to fully fund the request of Cloud County Health Center.
It wasn’t long ago that every governing board in Cloud County determined that the number one priority for Cloud County was a modern medical facility. The hospital took these words to heart and worked with the community to come up with a plan for a new facility. With the hard work of our hospital administration and staff, they have been able to apply for funding through a USDA loan and have pledged to keep this project off the tax rolls. Keep in mind, this is a loan, not a grant. This loan will need to be paid back. The strong financial feasibility of the hospital is the reason we will be able to avoid tax payer assistance. I am grateful for the efforts of the staff and administration in achieving this goal.
The governing bodies agreed a modern medical facility was the number one priority. Now is the time for action. The City of Concordia and Cloud County Community College have given the land for this project. There are other public and private contributions in the works. I encourage the Cloud County Commissioners to award the wind farm grant funds for this project for the next five years. I believe this new medical facility is the most important project our community will undertake in this decade.
Thank you
JoAnne Balthazor