Gardner is considering applying for a state grant to fund repairs and maintenance of Highway 56 between Sycamore street and Moonlight Road. Michael Kramer, public works director, told the city council during a meeting March 4 that the road qualifies for Kansas Department of Transportation funding up to $1 million a year with a 10 percent matching contribution by the city. Kramer said the road is maintained by the state including snow removal but added there could be additional funding from the state through the proposed funding mechanism. He said that funds for any such matching grant have not been budgeted in the city’s current fiscal year. Lee Moore, council president, wondered why the state would come back and ask the citizens of Gardner to pay more to maintain a road that is already the responsibility of the state.
(Read more: Gardner News)