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Business News
GIRARD —
Homelessness is a problem anywhere, but SEK-CAP officials told the Crawford County Commissioners Friday that it is hoping to get its minds wrapped around the issue in this county.
“In January 2013, we’ll take a point-in-time count of the homeless persons in all counties in the state. Crawford and one other county in southeast Kansas have been traditionally counted and delivered to HUD [Housing and Urban Development],” said Becky Gray, SEK-CAP director of research, planning and grants development. “We want all counties reported, and every county in Southeast Kansas. We’ll find out how big the problem is, where the problem is. We’re doing that count.”
Furthermore, Gray asked county commissioners for their help in identifying camps, homeless individuals and more when the count takes place. Specifically, that includes those in the health department, sheriff’s office and even road crews to help the count be more accurate.
Pittsburg will also host the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition conference in April 2013, bringing 200-250 experts on the issue to Southeast Kansas.
Gray also talked to the commissioners about a reorganization in SEK-CAP. Specifically, she introduced Dick Horton, the SEK-CAP family and community engagement director.
“We’re shifting our focus. What I’d be looking for is opportunities to combine forces within the county and with other entities that we share commonb goals, and see how we can collaborate and provide more services for those in need,” Gray said.
Gray added that she sees a trend of federal money is being directed more toward collaborative efforts
Commissioners said that will help put more of a focus on high-priority jobs and use resources more wisely.
“We’ve had requests come to us, and it seems like we ask, ‘Isn’t that being done by someone else?’ There’s a lot of corssover. We need to find where there is an influx of money or need, and make sure it’s not watered down to County commissioners also received bids for a new roof on a road and bridge building. Four bids were received, and commissioners asked two county officials review the bids before Tuesday’s meeting.
“One bid was quite low, and one was quite high. We want to make sure the low bid includes everything we asked for. It does kind of fall into the money bid that we were hoping for,” Grilz said.
In Friday’s meeting, the commission also:
• approved transferring $17,000 in funds from the geographic information systems (GIS) budget for LEPP (Local Environmental Protection Program) funds. The money was already planned for that use, commissioners just made the move as a budgetary precaution.
• heard a report from County Clerk Don Pyle that more than 1,300 votes had been cast in advanced voting booths so far, and that another 1,200 or so votes had been cast by absentee ballot.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
Homelessness is a problem anywhere, but SEK-CAP officials told the Crawford County Commissioners Friday that it is hoping to get its minds wrapped around the issue in this county.
“In January 2013, we’ll take a point-in-time count of the homeless persons in all counties in the state. Crawford and one other county in southeast Kansas have been traditionally counted and delivered to HUD [Housing and Urban Development],” said Becky Gray, SEK-CAP director of research, planning and grants development. “We want all counties reported, and every county in Southeast Kansas. We’ll find out how big the problem is, where the problem is. We’re doing that count.”
Furthermore, Gray asked county commissioners for their help in identifying camps, homeless individuals and more when the count takes place. Specifically, that includes those in the health department, sheriff’s office and even road crews to help the count be more accurate.
Pittsburg will also host the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition conference in April 2013, bringing 200-250 experts on the issue to Southeast Kansas.
Gray also talked to the commissioners about a reorganization in SEK-CAP. Specifically, she introduced Dick Horton, the SEK-CAP family and community engagement director.
“We’re shifting our focus. What I’d be looking for is opportunities to combine forces within the county and with other entities that we share commonb goals, and see how we can collaborate and provide more services for those in need,” Gray said.
Gray added that she sees a trend of federal money is being directed more toward collaborative efforts
Commissioners said that will help put more of a focus on high-priority jobs and use resources more wisely.
“We’ve had requests come to us, and it seems like we ask, ‘Isn’t that being done by someone else?’ There’s a lot of corssover. We need to find where there is an influx of money or need, and make sure it’s not watered down to County commissioners also received bids for a new roof on a road and bridge building. Four bids were received, and commissioners asked two county officials review the bids before Tuesday’s meeting.
“One bid was quite low, and one was quite high. We want to make sure the low bid includes everything we asked for. It does kind of fall into the money bid that we were hoping for,” Grilz said.
In Friday’s meeting, the commission also:
• approved transferring $17,000 in funds from the geographic information systems (GIS) budget for LEPP (Local Environmental Protection Program) funds. The money was already planned for that use, commissioners just made the move as a budgetary precaution.
• heard a report from County Clerk Don Pyle that more than 1,300 votes had been cast in advanced voting booths so far, and that another 1,200 or so votes had been cast by absentee ballot.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
