(KNSI) – Cold Spring’s bid to get Congressionally Directed Spending for its fire hall project officially ended earlier this month.
The assistance was stripped out of a continuing resolution signed by President Donald Trump to avoid a federal government shutdown. City Administrator Kris Dockendorf says the item was touch-and-go for a year, which gave them plenty of time to budget for all contingencies.
“Since we didn’t have any formal approval of it, of the Congressionally Directed Spending award, we went ahead and borrowed the full amount for construction of the fire hall, with the intention that if we did receive funding, we would pay our debt back with it.”
Dockendorf notes the issue is now a settled matter. It will not go before Congress again in the upcoming fiscal year. The new fire hall will cost just under $9 million.
Cold Spring is putting another project back out for a second look. Dockendorf hopes to resubmit a proposal to expand the wastewater treatment plant for state bonding funds and federal financial assistance.
“We had applied for Congressionally Directed Spending last year at the same time, along with the fire hall for our wastewater treatment facility project. That one had not been included in their funding, but I’m reapplying for Fiscal Year 2026.”
Dockendorf believes that with the fire hall application closed, Cold Spring will be in good shape for assistance with the water treatment plant.
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