PITTSBURG, Kan. —
The Pittsburg City Commission and City Manager Daron Hall agreed on one thing at Tuesday’s meeting for discussion of the 2013 budget: Some of the outside agencies that requested funds will need to look elsewhere.
“The government in Topeka will be balancing its budget on our backs, and I think we have to be very stringent about the monies we give outside agencies,” said Commissioner Marty Beezley. “While all of them do a great job and I appreciate what they do, our charge here is to make sure we have enough money for the basic services we are responsible to provide to our citizens.”
Commissioners approved Hall’s recommendation to not provide funding to the Alliance for Technology Commercialization, or ATC; the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program, or SEK-CAP; and Pawprints on the Heartland.
ATC
The ATC encourages entrepreneurship by assisting area residents with the commercialization of their new ideas and inventions, including developing prototypes, market research and conducting patent searches.
The alliance sought $40,774 from the city’s general fund to narrow the shortfall caused when the Kansas Department of Commerce ended its financial support for fiscal 2013, which began July 1. The department had provided 37 percent of the alliance’s funding for the past 13 years. The remainder of ATC’s revenue has come from the city and in-kind contributions, including office space at Pittsburg State University.
“I’m always an optimistic person in terms of saying we’re going to re-evaluate what the needs are and move ahead,” ATC President Eric Ferrell said Wednesday. “Obviously the needs have changed or the directives have changed, and it will be our opportunity to identify those needs and see if that’s something we can help meet. This is a period of time to identify new opportunities.”
SEK-CAP
SEK-CAP sought $50,000 from the city’s general fund. One of its directors, Becky Gray, said the money would be used for operating costs for the city’s emergency homeless shelter, which houses about 90 families per year, and for related programs. SEK-CAP is awaiting news on an application for a homeless emergency assistance grant of $480,000 that was submitted on its behalf by the city to the Kansas Housing Resources Corp.
“I understand the city can’t support everyone; I am not surprised that they didn’t contribute any funds,” Gray said Wednesday. “What was really positive about this experience was that we had good conversations with the city manager. He’s been very open and communicative. ... The support is there in spirit.”
Gray said no decision about operations would be made until SEK-CAP learns sometime this fall if the grant has been awarded.
“If we get the full $480,000, we will be fine,” she said. “If we get half of what we asked for, we will be OK. If we get less than half, we end up with an operating shortfall. In the meantime, we will be working a bunch of different angles such as other grants.”
Other agencies
The commission and Hall also turned down a request for $3,000 by Pawprints on the Heartland to help fund a spay and neuter program for feral cats. Officials cited a $17,500 grant from PetSmart Charities that the organization received, along with fundraisers it holds periodically, as adequate funding sources to keep the operation afloat.
Commissioners did approve the following funding requests:
• Pittsburg Beautiful, $2,000.
• Homer Cole Center, $9,000.
• Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, $63,000.
• Pittsburg Community Theatre, with in-kind contributions of space at Memorial Auditorium valued at $12,200.
• Community Mental Health, $50,000.
• Pittsburg State University Prevention & Wellness, $3,000.
The commission and Hall also supported continuing membership in the Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative at an as-yet unknown cost for the coming year; the cost in 2012 was $20,000.
Budget hearing
A PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed city budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, after which the City Commission will vote on the spending plan.
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