With $150,000 still to spend, Iola officials hope to find homeowners eager to spruce up their digs.
Iola City Council members were briefed Monday on progress of a housing rehabilitation project through Community Development Block Grants.
Homeowners who live between Madison and Spruce streets to the north and south and First and Fourth streets on the west and east sides may qualify for up to $20,000 in assistance to fix up their houses. Eligibility is determined by property owners’ income.
Shonda Jefferis, Iola’s code enforcement officer, said the rehabilitation work entails everything from installing new siding and windows to electrical wiring and gutter replacement. The money is an outright gift with no strings attached.
Council members discussed ways to get the word out about the program.
Steve French and David Toland both said they’d be willing to go door to door to ensure folks know about the program. Toland also suggested placing billboards at houses undergoing renovations so more residents are aware of its availability.
Jefferis said mailings have been sent out to property owners in the designated areas.
French also inquired about expanding the target area. Those parameters were established when the program began, City Administrator Carl Slaugh explained, and cannot be altered.
Even rental properties may be eligible, Jefferis said, although property owners in that case may be required to contribute up to 25 percent of a project’s cost.
The funds are available through Jan. 31, Slaugh said.
“The problem is if we don’t spend the money now, we may have a tough time asking for more money later,” Toland said. “This has got to be a high priority.”
In a related matter, council members directed the grant money for houses at 215 S. First St. for $23,800, and 321 S. Third St. for $18,800. D & D Construction, St. Paul, had the lowest of four bids for both contracts. Both were accepted unanimously.
A NEW electric agreement with Westar and other neighboring communities will once again restore Iola’s ability to benefit from generating its own power, council members were told.
The council unanimously approved Iola’s participation within the Southwind Energy Group, a consortium consisting of Iola, Chanute, Fredonia, Sabetha, Centralia and Arcadia.
The six-member group will act as a single customer in dealing with Westar, which will manage the communities’ electric power resources.
Through the terms of the agreement, Iola will occasionally be asked to generate its own electricity. But unlike with the city’s current arrangement with the Kansas Power Pool, the generation may result in either lower rates for the city or reimbursement, energy consultant Scott Shreve explained.
