Supervisors approve contribution to Grundy Center Main Street project

After rejecting an initial proposal on a split vote, the Grundy County Board of Supervisors approved a $3,000 contribution to the Grundy Center Main Street project as the city applies for a Community Development Block Grant from the state.
           
Grundy Center City Clerk Kristy Sawyer attended the meeting to address the board and reported that the city is hoping to obtain a $500,000 CDBG grant from the state, similar to the one Conrad received for its downtown revitalization project, and Grundy Center will match $250,000 if it receives the grant. Building owners will be expected to match the other $250,000, and supervisor Barb Smith opined that the renovations could benefit the county in the long run as they will be re-assessed after the project, potentially generating more revenue.
           
In the past, the county has contributed to projects in Reinbeck and Wellsburg that received Vision Iowa grants as well as the Kruger-Hemmen Sports Complex in Dike. An initial motion to oblige Sawyer’s request of $5,000 toward the project failed on a 2-2 vote (Harlyn Riekena was absent) with supervisors Chuck Bakker and Mark Schildroth voting no.
           
Schildroth countered with an offer to contribute just $1,000, but it died without a second. Eventually, a motion to contribute $3,000 passed 3-1, as Schildroth once again voted no. During a brief interview after the meeting, he declined to comment on specific reasons for opposing the contribution. According to Sawyer, renovations will not begin until July of 2018 if the grant is received. 
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.