A HUD Grant that has funded the Flint Hills Regional Council for the past three years run’s out in May, leaving the council with enough funding to get through the rest of the year and barely into next year.

Gary Stith, FHRC Executive Director explained that they are currently working on a number of things to keep the organization sustainable. 

“We’re making some adjustments in staffing and we’re looking for all kinds of opportunities for next year in terms of grants and projects that we can work on and partnerships we can create,” Stith said.

Currently the FHRC has a contract with the City of Council Grove doing a Comprehensive Plan for them and working with four or five other communities in the region preparing grant applications and then administering those grants once they’ve been awarded. The FHRC also has some other possible projects they will be going after.

The Council’s base budget for 2016 is approximately $260,000 and if they do receive some projects they hope to go after in the near future they expect they feel they will then need to hire a full time Executive Director, which Stith says will cost them an additional $75,000.

“Right now we only have $36,000 we’re rolling over, plus the dues for next year will generate about $64,000. We still have a hole to plug but we we’ve got several irons in the fire that we think are going to come through and provide us with additional resources.”

As of right now Stith is working part-time as the Executive Director. Much of the staff has moved to hourly wages in order to preserve money and keep the Council operational until additional funding is secured.