News

Hall County Leaders Look to City for Help Funding Grand Generation Center

Posted: 5:27 PM Jul 24, 2012
Reporter: Morgan Demmel

Grand Generation Center Needs Additional Funding - Morgan Demmel Reports at 5:30

Hall County officials say Grand Island's senior center is in desperate need of upgrades, but they don't have the funding to make it happen.

"Our roof leaks, it actually leaks," Hall County Board of Supervisors Chair Pam Lancaster says.

But Lancaster says that's just one issue facing the Grand Generation Center building.

"There's constantly upkeep to this large of a facility," Hall County Senior Services Director Theresa Engelhardt says.

The building has been in use since the 1970s, and now the Grand Generation's budget can't stretch far enough to make all the repairs and renovations the building needs.

"Dollars come down from the state to the locals and they require a local match. That local match is obtained through county dollars, which is something around $100,000," Lancaster says.

Lancaster says the funds the center used to receive from the city are slowly being taken away. The city voted to end its funding to the center over a six-year time frame, ending entirely in 2014.

But Lancaster says the Board of Supervisors' main concern is the rest of the funds from the half cent sales tax that the Grand Generation Center was promised, but hasn't seen.

"It came to light that we were not receiving the $100,000 that was mentioned as part of the half cent sales tax in 2004," Lancaster says. "There have been some funds, slightly over $300,000, that have come over the years to the Grand Generation Center. But that falls short, certainly, of the $100,000 a year."

So Lancaster says she, Engelhardt and other county leaders are going back to the city to ask for more help to make the needed repairs.

"There are just some things we'd like to have, some updates that would be more accommodating to the population that are using the center," Engelhardt says.

The Grand Island City Council is discussing the funding in a study session at its Tuesday July 24th meeting.

In a press release Monday, Mayor Jay Vavricek stated: "I said before I would fight for the funding of the Grand Generation Center. I feel a community discussion is warranted on this matter."