City to facilitate numerous improvements

Fort Scott City commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved setting aside $2,500 this year for downtown property owners to improve the appearance of their buildings.

The downtown facade grant program will allot $2,500 this year and another $2,500 for 2008. Building owners can get a maximum of $500 per project, which would be 20 percent of their project total, primarily to paint their building facades. The owner of a building must fill out an application that is available at Fort Scott City Hall, 1 E. Third St.

The Phoenix Committee has discussed the program as a way to encourage property owners and renters in the downtown area to improve their facades.

"I don't know how popular it will be, and I don't know how many people will take advantage of it," City Manager Richard Nienstedt said, "but at least we get something out there."

"You might say, "Well, why $500?" but you're at least putting something into the building," Nienstedt said. "What you're showing to the property owner is that you're willing to commit the money you have to help them make their dollars go further."

Commissioner Jim Adams said he's talked with two downtown property owners who are very motivated to fix up their buildings by painting their facades.

"I think we've got two owners who definitely going to do this," he said.

The money will be drawn out from the Mayor's Phoenix Fund.

"Well, I will second it (the motion) because it really, really needs to be done," Commissioner Barbara Wood said. "We were down there looking at the buildings the other day and...if this would get started, I'm all for doing it."

City officials tailored the program after that of Pittsburg, which pumps money into its program from a sales tax initiative the city has had in place since 1986. Fort Scott's program is on a much smaller scale.

In a similar matter, commissioners approved renewal of the Fort Scott Revitalization Program. The program is retroactive back in January. It runs to December 2011.

The program offers a property tax rebate for improvements to owners who increase the property valuation by at least 15 percent or more.

In other developments, commissioners did the following:

* Approved a $3,000 bid from Sherwin-Williams to purchase carpeting for 227 square yards in City Hall. The carpet will go in the information area and the economic development, codes and city manager offices.

* Approved a change order for $8,500 for engineering modification to the new fire station currently being built on the east side of Fort Scott.

* Authorized public works to purchase a power broom for $8,800. The machine will be used for milling purposes and cleaning up Gunn Park after floods. The broom is used.

* Approved a bid by Mid-Continental Restoration for $5,661 to repair a section of stone foundation at Memorial Hall. The stone is cracked and showing signs of movement. The section is just off the right side of the city hall entrance.

* Approved a $42,000 bid from AB Creative, of DeSoto, for playground equipment for a new park on the east side of town. The money will come from flood mitigation funds.