Gove County sends SOS to FSA

By Larry Dreiling

Demonstrating the devotion they have toward their community, Gove County residents gave federal officials plenty of reasons why their U.S. Department of Agriculture service center should not be closed, a decision some residents believe could prove the death knell to their town.

Nearly 300 people crowded into the gymnasium of the former local grade school that is now the Gove County Office building to listen to Kansas Farm Service Agency state director Bill Fuller give a review of why the Gove County facility is to be one of 11 FSA offices across Kansas under review to be closed.

A review committee decided on 10 of the offices. Fuller himself decided on the 11th. Many Gove County residents chided Fuller in the more than three-hour long meeting, claiming their county office was that 11th office.

Politically awkward

Fuller said the decision to review efficiencies at the state level based on cost reductions ordered by FSA administrator Tina Lassiter makes him uneasy.

"This is putting me on the opposite side of some of my good close influential political friends. I hope that when this is over, we still have that friendship, some going back 20 to 25 years. This is awkward for me, for Roberts and Moran and all the other good folks out there," said Fuller, describing concerns addressed by Rep. Jerry Moran and Sen. Pat Roberts, both Kansas Republicans.

"What this is," Fuller continued, "is that we all are fighting for what we believe in. I have no problem with them at all. You work with whom you can to get this thing altered or get it stopped. It's a natural thing. If the tables were turned, I might be out there and you'd be up here."

Fuller gave a review of the restructuring plan summary he issued last December and then gave local residents an opportunity to respond.

Building conflicts

Perhaps the main reason the decision was made to consolidate the Gove County office with the neighboring office at Oakley, Kan., in Logan County 31 miles away, Fuller said, is the condition of the building housing the offices not only of FSA, but also of the local Natural Resources Conservation Service. FSA employs four people in the county office as well as a farm loan manager. NRCS has seven employees.

Fuller's summary states the condition of the office, owned by the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows as the major reason for the consolidation. FSA pays a yearly rent of $16,288 to the lodge.

"The building is an old storefront that has been refigured several times. There is no practical or effective opportunity for remodeling," Fuller's summary said.

"Additionally, the building's landlord has not indicated any desire for significant remodeling and no responses had been received when a market survey for new space were issued."

The summary report lists several problems with the building, including a central masonry wall dividing the FSA and NRCS portions of the building that makes remodeling impossible. It also cites poor temperature controls, inadequate storage space; the county director's office is too cramped for confidential discussions with employees or customers. There also are rest room facilities that are adjacent to the NRCS program technicians' work area.

The report went on to cite that radon was investigated and addressed in 2005. The ductwork was treated for mold last year and drinking water must be filtered through a reverse osmosis system.

"Fine the way it is"

A former Gove County commissioner, Arnold Prather, said county FSA executive director John Moorhous has said the building was fine the way it is.

"We also are the eighth most efficient office in the state," Prather said, "at 1.56 cents spent to provide a dollar of benefits." In comparison, the Logan County office cost is four cents to the dollar.

"We have to be one of the few landlords that take the money from the rent and put it back into the county," Prather said. "I dare say that no other office in the state does that. Over the last 10 years, expenditures to upgrade the building have been over $54,000. Most of the material and labor was donated by lodge members.

"USDA says it's in favor of encouraging rural economic growth and development, yet it is trying to take away the very thing that we need to have that in this county."

Infrastructure arguments

The summary also cited other reasons for closure, such as Gove with a city population of 98 compared with Quinter with a population of 874, Grinnell at 308, Grainfield at 307 and Park at 141 as not being a trade center as it has no schools, medical facilities, machinery dealerships, motels or grain elevators.

"The infrastructure in Gove is severely lacking," Fuller's summary said.

Gove city councilman Tanner Tuttle spoke to disagree.

"Western Kansas is where the majority of the state's farm ground is," Tuttle said. "The Breadbasket of America should be the last area where you should be cutting funding and jobs."

Tuttle told Fuller about Gove's combination grocery store and café; the seed, feed and hardware store; fuel station, plumbing contractor, general contractor, post office, museum, and antique store. Gove also is the county seat of Gove County.

As Terry Mendenhall, a Gove resident, later told Fuller, "As for no machinery dealer in Gove, usually when you are needing parts, you are not going to the FSA office or do not have time to go to the FSA office as you are needing to get back to the farm to do your farm work."

County chair speaks

Brian Packard, Gove County FSA Committee chair, also disagreed with the assessment, saying the building owners were never informed of significant problems staff had with the building and if they had been, the problems likely would have been corrected and that there are several older FSA county facilities in northwest Kansas, but only Gove County was singled out for closure.

"If Bill Fuller and the state committee knew the state capital building was built in 1866 would they close it even though it was still usable?" Packard asked the crowd to laughs and cheers.

Packard then argued that the water out of the tap in the office was safe to drink, but the osmosis system was donated for taste concerns.

"Another argument is that FSA offices should be located in large cities where the population is the highest. If that is so, why is the state office located in Manhattan rather than in Kansas City," Packard added.

Packard also disputed the Fuller assessment's computation of two cents spent for every dollar of benefits. He also quoted the 1.59-cent figure Prather offered. Additionally, combining the workload of both Gove and Logan County offices would also make that office's workload the largest in the state, Packard contended.

"Won't LDP days be lots of fun," Packard said as the crowd laughed, later adding: "If you don't think this office ought to be closed, please stand and voice your support."

The crowd in the gym rose as one and applauded.

A final public meeting was held March 19 in Chase County. Fuller said the final announcement on the proposed closing of the Kansas FSA offices would be made about a month after that date.

"I'll accept anything you want to write about this for a few more days," Fuller said. "If you can find a way to build a better mousetrap, I'm all for it."

Once a decision is made, Fuller's proposal will then be submitted to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns for final approval. Johanns will then inform the state's congressional delegation, as well as the agriculture committees and ag appropriations subcommittees of the action.

Larry Dreiling can be reached by phone at 785-628-1117 or by e-mail at ldreiling@aol.com.

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3/26/07

1 Star WK

Date: 3/22/07

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