Federal road funding on track

The "responsible charge person" for Red Willow County assured commissioners during their meeting Monday morning that the county's documentation on federal aid and federal stimulus road projects is "on track and moving forward."

Karl Elmshaeuser of the West Central Nebraska Development District in Ogallala and Red Willow County's "RC person" for federal aid road projects, told commissioners it seems that the process that the federal government requires recipients to follow for stimulus-funded projects "is being defined as we go along." McNutt said, "We're six months into this, and they're still changing the process." Fellow commissioner Leigh Hoyt said, "Just about a year ago, the stimulus programs started, and there's still no money for transportation projects."

Elmshaeuser said he's doing all he can to sift through regulations and new regulations, updated documentation requirements and "new, new-new and new-new-new formats." He said that there is some Red Willow County documentation that will have to be updated and resubmitted, "but your projects are not on hold. All environmentals (requirements) for both projects have been approved."

Red Willow County has two federal aid road projects: McCook North is 2 1⁄2 miles of asphalt northeast of McCook, from the north end of McCook's East 11th Street north on County Road 386; and "McCook West," 1.3 miles of asphalt from Highway 6&34 at the Perry Elevator (west of McCook) south on County Road 380.

Elmshaeuser assured commissioners that he is on top of paperwork for the two projects, and is keeping abreast of government regulations to insure that the county does not jeopardize federal funding. "I work for you," he said. "My job is to be your advocate" with the federal government. He added, "We'll get it ... we'll get through it, as long as they don't keep changing the rules."