K-State officials are in the process of compiling their resources in aiding Greensburg, Kan., rebuilding efforts.

About 40 people from different colleges, academic departments and organizations met with K-State's Center for Engagement and Community Development for a conference call with various people involved with the Greensburg community Wednesday afternoon.

Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinator Benjamin Alexander said FEMA officials had a ceremonial hand-off of recovery efforts to the Greensburg community on Aug.. 15. About 10 FEMA workers were in Greensburg, which now has four part-time workers for 60 days, Alexander said.

"It really depends on the community capacity," said Alexander, who plans to work in Greensburg Monday through Wednesday for the next 60 days.

On May 4, an F-5 tornado with 205-mph winds hit Greensburg and Kiowa County. More than 90 percent of the structures in the community were severely damaged or destroyed.

FEMA enacted the Long-Term Community Recovery program, which included assistance from the State of Kansas and federal agencies. A 75-page Long-Term Community Recovery Plan for Greensburg, which community members developed, is now available on the town's Web site.

In the Long-Term Community Planning effort, a public-square model includes four sectors to help rebuilding efforts - government, education, business and health/community services. The four sectors will reinforce the long-term physical rebuilding efforts, said Terry Woodbury, president of Kansas Communities, LLC.

"The public square helped create a collective environment of community engagement that seems to be new for Greensburg," Woodbury said.

The plan also includes a list of future projects for the community's rebuilding efforts, which is subject to change, said Carmen Stauth, Kiowa County agricultural extension agent.

"It's been a collaborative effort for the whole community," Stauth said. "This is the goal of the community in how to proceed forward."

Center for Engagement and Community Development director David Procter and Dan Kahl, center extension liaison, met with Greensburg residents Aug. 2 regarding K-State assistance in rebuilding.

In talking with Greensburg residents, Procter said one of the community's top needs is for a strong grant writer who can help gain funding for the rebuilding efforts.

The center's philosophy is to help meet community needs, which includes connecting K-State's resources with those needs, Procter said.

One difficulty Greensburg residents are experiencing is the amount of resources that are available to them from a land-grant university like K-State, Woodbury said. At a public steering committee meeting Wednesday, Greensburg residents appointed seven people who are responsible in hiring a resource coordinator/librarian.

"Once that person is in place, we should be able to better respond to the resources available out there to us," Woodbury said.

The Greensburg community hired a Wichita-based architectural firm for its downtown planning, Stauth said. Another architectural firm based in Baltimore also is interested in building a factory and several houses in Greensburg, Stauth said.

While the College of Architecture, Planning and Design did not have a timely response to the Greensburg tornado since it occurred during spring semester finals, several professors want to use the Greensburg situation in their classroom studios, said Dennis Law, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design.

"We want to see how we can help with future disasters," Law said.

Center for Engagement and Community Development officials plan to continue their communication with K-State Research and Extension officials in providing the names and resources for Greensburg residents, Kahl said. A disaster response team of about five people formed after Wednesday afternoon's meeting.

"I think we heard a really strong interest in convening a group who will continue helping," Kahl said.