County grant writer urges early planning for CDBG, water and infrastructure grants

The county grant writer briefed the Crawford County Commission on several grant opportunities and recommended early planning and coordination with cities. She highlighted an April 25 Kansas Infrastructure Summit in Lindsborg as a place to learn the specific application language for infrastructure grants tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

She described the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) cycle, saying deadlines range from September to December and awards would be used in 2026. The grants can fund water and sewer infrastructure, storm shelters, community centers, parks, ADA improvements and housing rehabilitation. The grant writer noted the county and cities generally each have application limits (for example, governmental entities may only submit a limited number of applications) and suggested the commission decide which county projects should be pursued.

Local proposals discussed included a trailer‑park rehabilitation to add affordable housing, municipal pool water‑system work, and a Mulberry application to demolish abandoned housing and reclaim lots. She said some state‑administered grants will cover local match on a competitive basis if the applicant meets criteria. Commissioners asked whether the grant writer needed approval to attend the Lindsborg summit and whether the county should coordinate projects with cities and regional partners before submitting applications.

The commission authorized the grant writer to pursue conference attendance and to continue preparing project proposals; final applications and match details will return to the board for approval when specific project scopes and budgets are ready.