BEATRICE – The relationship between the City of Beatrice and a Washington-D.C.-based firm has been a productive one….even in the face of things such as a federal government shutdown.

"The significant dysfunction in the way the government operates is just a reality of how we see the funding, moving. The government is currently shut down in many key areas, which is the result of appropriations bills not being able to be passed. Those appropriations bills have RAISE money in them...and they have earmarks money and Brownfields money in them. The shutdown is going to be resolved. I don't know when, or how...but it is. What will happen after that will be the same sort of funding environment we've experienced in the last several years....and that you have all proved adept at competing in."

Representatives of Merchant McIntyre met with Beatrice Mayor Bob Morgan and the City Council Monday night, following a day of visiting the city. The firm is most notable for helping the city land a more than $21 million RAISE grant that will be used to redevelop the downtown, including relocating U.S. Highway 136 traffic a block to the south. Brent Merchant says his firm works to secure grants and federal appropriations on behalf of communities. He said a key effort by the city has been its planning efforts for projects.

"You don't have to wait on Washington, to fix these things. We're not going to wait on Washington to fix these things...we need them to pass appropriations bills, and then we're going to go get the money you need. That's what we do. You're ability to plan, to have certain things in place, whether it's the business park, or housing, or strategic plans associated with roads and major projects, is a significant competitive advantage."

Merchant Mcintyre will be trying to land an EPA Brownfields Program grant to address the Dempster property cleanup, after the city missed on its first try. Councilman Ted Fairbanks said additional support added to the $200,000 the city is budgeting for the Dempster site in each of the next two years, would go a long way.

"I want you to understand that the council is all ready....there's no one on the council that is a no vote when it comes to doing something about the site. We have the resources....Tobias and the rest of our staff, to work on that. But, we also have some money budgeted for matching grants....for something going forward."

Merchant says largely because of the prior RAISE grant, the city has seen a return on investment with the agreement between his firm and the city, of $112 for every one-dollar spent. The city has a $782,000 federal appropriation pending…delayed by the government shutdown.