Monday morning the Marshall County Commissioners were updated on the grant applications for a new multi-purpose building that would be on the 4-H Fairgrounds in Argos.
Shannon McLeod from Priority Project Resources is writing the grant application for a Community Development Block Grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The grant application is for $500,000.
The size of the project has been scaled back from $1.6 million with an 11,000 square foot building to an 8,000 square foot steel framed building with wainscoting, a cement floor and drywall interior. The building will be able to seat 400 at round tables.
Funding for the project includes $300,000 of local match or 37.5% of the grant. The local match is made up of $55,000 in donations gathered through various fundraisers, $30,000 from the Marshall County Community Foundation and a bank loan of $215,000.
After reviewing multiple documents for the grant application the county commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the grant application pending the 4-H Fair Association’s approval of a memorandum of understanding detailing the local match is the responsibility of the 4-H Fair Association and not of the county.
The commissioners did learn that they will co-own the building for seven years and will cover the cost of insurance on the building too.
McLeod told the commissioners the grant would have a better chance if a partnership between and 4-H Fair Association and the county existed that showed their long term commitment to the project. She suggested the county ear-mark $3,000 a year for operation short-falls. The county commissioners agreed to some funding in the 2019 budget.
