Thanks to Sen. Pat Roberts, it could be a lot cheaper for the city of Tonganoxie to develop its new business park.

With the expectation the area south of the city along the improved Leavenworth County Road 1 would develop with the opening of the new turnpike interchange, the city purchased 237 acres last year for a new industrial park.

Tonganoxie City Administrator Mike Yanez told city council members Monday Roberts had requested $1 million in funding to extend a sewer line to the park. Construction of the line is expected to cost about $700,000. The remaining money in the senator’s request would be used for design and engineering and easement acquisition.

Sarah Little, the senator’s communications director, said Tuesday the request was referred to a Senate committee. It would be June before it was known if the earmark would be accepted by the committee for funding. It could be November before the appropriations bill containing the earmark clears Congress, she said.

Yanez said the appropriation had a long way to go, but he was hopeful.

“This would be huge for the city of Tonganoxie,” he said.

In other news from City Hall, Kathy Bard, assistant city administrator, said the city now had accounts with the popular Internet social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.