By Stephanie Gattman, Truth Staff
sgattman@etruth.com
GOSHEN -- Elkhart County's grant writer, Kris Krueger, starts each morning in the Elkhart County commissioners office checking out what new stimulus money has been released that day, according to county administrator Tom Byers.
She's helping the county get its hands on as much of the federal stimulus money as it can to benefit residents as widely as possible, leverage local tax dollars and put people to work.
The process is detailed and takes time.
"As long as people remember you continue to deal with government," Byers said.
The bureaucracy has a reporting system that slows it down. But it's transparent, he noted.
Byers said all of the grants are important and all of them are doing good.
Road work
The county is seeking two types of transportation money in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- urban and rural funds, according to Jay Grossman, project engineer at the Elkhart County Highway Department. The boundaries for urban and rural projects are locally approved by the Michiana Area Council of Governments and based on census data.
Jeff Taylor, county highway manager, said the county's been told it's guaranteed roughly $2.5 million in urban funds.
He plans to use the money for resurfacing several sections of C.R. 17 north of C.R. 18 and C.R. 45 between Old C.R. 17 and C.R. 13.
"There are a lot of hoops we have to get through to get that money," Taylor said.
The sections of C.R. 17 are 15 years old and have a lot of what Grossman calls "surface distress from heavy use."
INDOT's Fort Wayne District, which includes Elkhart County, received $18 million to distribute to rural projects, Taylor said, including cities and towns, so the grants are competitive on a first-come, first-served basis. The county has submitted about $3 million worth of "mill and fill" projects for itself, Wakarusa and Middlebury.
In those projects, an inch and a half of surface is taken off the road and replaced.
The problem with both types of projects is that letting of the contracts is done by INDOT and won't happen until fall, which means the projects won't be done until next spring.
Juvenile facility
Byers is amazed that officials haven't been able to find a single grant to apply for that will help pay for a much-needed juvenile justice facility.
It's the epitome of a shovel-ready project, he said. It's designed, ready to be built, will put people to work and will bring about efficiencies in the criminal justice system.
"Somewhere there's got to be a pot of money to do that," Byers said.
Officials keep in regular contact with the county's two congressmen.
Byers said the county isn't asking them to find the money, but if something comes up, "we'll go after it."
Parks
Dan Seltenright, director of Elkhart County parks, said his department is working with the state's Department of Natural Resources and INDOT for money to complete the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.
So far, they haven't submitted any applications for stimulus money, but they're still looking.
Victim Assistance
Amy Bechtel of the Elkhart County prosecutor's office has applied for two grants that will help offset some of the county's portion of several salaries within the Victim Assistance division. She also is hoping two positions can be created.
Overpass
County Commissioner Terry Rodino has asked U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, to help obtain discretionary stimulus funds for an overpass at C.R. 13 in Dunlap. The request comes on the heels of Elkhart's request for about $70 million for underpasses at Prairie Street and Hively Avenue.
But it's not a competition, Byers said.
Design and property acquisition hasn't been completed for the project, so Byers said he's unsure how that falls on the "shovel-ready" list.
It will take two to four years to get to construction.
"It's a project that's been talked about forever," Byers said.
Other hopes
Byers said the county also is searching for stimulus funds for Ivy Tech Community College, the Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County and a broadband initiative.
Hoping for the best
The county hopes these transportation projects will be funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act:
* Elkhart Street south of Railroad to Harrison streets in Wakarusa
* Elkhart Street from Sycamore Street to just north of Wildcat Drive in Wakarusa
* Warren Street (C.R. 16) from Main Street to just west of C.R. 116 in Middlebury
* C.R. 50 from C.R. 7 to C.R. 13
* C.R. 29 from South County Line Road to C.R. 46
* C.R. 42 from C.R. 33 to just west of Timber Valley Boulevard
* C.R. 40 from S.R. 119 to C.R. 21
* C.R. 17 from just north of C.R. 18 to just south of Verdant Drive
* C.R. 17 from just north of Verdant to S.R. 120
* C.R. 17 from C.R. 6 to C.R. 4
* C.R. 45 from Old C.R. 17 to C.R. 13
Source: Elkhart County Highway Department