Kearney Asks for Help with Transportation Comments

The City of Kearney is asking residents for assistance with three transportation grants through the Mid America Regional Council. Comments through MARC’s grant portal will help Kearney’s rankings for grant awards for infrastructure projects.

Kearney is competing with other cities the Kansas City metro area for federal grant dollars that will fund over 150 transportation projects. The city has applied for grants to fund three city projects: the 19th St. Complete Street Project, the Kearney Pathways Project, and the Nation Rd. Complete Street Project.

“Your comments will positively affect the rankings of Kearney’s applications, and we need your support,” reads the city’s social media post. “It only takes a few minutes to increase Kearney’s chances of being selected for grants for these projects.”

MARC is now seeking public comments on those applications. To read the project details and make comments on each project visit gis2.marc2.org/suballocated/publiccomment.html. Comments are accepted until October 4.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Asks for Connected Trail Grant Help

The city of Kearney is asking residents to help secure a grant through Mid America Regional Council (MARC) to secure funds to build its Keeping Kearney Connected Trail Plan.

MARC has grant funding set aside for communities to help plan sustainable places and the city of Kearney has applied to receive money for sidewalks and trails.

“There is $900K available to Missouri communities to develop a plan for better sidewalks, trails, pathways, and improved crossings,” reads an email from Kearney Economic Development Director Carolyn Yatsook. “The City of Kearney has applied for some of this funding and is competing with other communities in the Kansas City metro and we need your help!”

City of Kearney staff are asking residents to submit public comments directly to MARC which will positively affect the rankings of Kearney’s application. Comments can be submitted in the GRANT PORTAL. Viewers will see a list of all applications, click on the “view project” tab for Kearney, MO and write your supportive comment. The comment period closes on July 22nd at 11:59 pm.

Kearney is also working with the Clay County Parks Department to build a two-phase Smithville Lake to Kearney Trail Project. 

Phase one will begin with a connection from Jack Rabbit Bend Access to Arley Access at Smithville Lake. The second phase will be from the Arley Access to Mack Porter Park in Kearney. With the addition of this trail, the city of Kearney will also consider extending their sidewalks from Dogwood Elementary north to phase two of the trail. It will also allow a connection to downtown Kearney. This project is the start of a greater goal of multi-use trails going from Smithville Lake to Watkins Mill.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.