Cloverdale council discusses grants at special session

Saturday, February 2, 2013

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale Town Council conducted a special session Friday afternoon to discuss two grants for which it will soon be applying.

Among the grants was one for a new fire truck for the Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department as well as a storm water project.

During a lengthy discussion about the potential storm water project with Lori Young of Robert E. Curry and Associates, grant administrator Kristy Jerrell of West Central Indiana Economic Development and Jill Curry of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), it was noted that the project would likely include Robert Weist Road to the creek as well as Market Street to the creek.

However, the council decided that it would be best to apply for grant funding next year.

For the storm water project the town would have to provide 10 percent of the matching funds, which would be more than $50,000. Since it has already missed the deadline to apply with the Putnam County Community Foundation, the project would be much harder to fund, council members agreed.

The town will need to not only do an environmental study but an income survey as well, which is a lengthy process in itself. The council will also look at establishing a storm water utility, which would range from $1-$5 to help sustain the system.

"With the storm water don't go into the round just to go into the round," Jerrell said. "OCRA can tell if the project was just thrown together."

With the deadline approaching too quickly to have everything needed for the storm water project, the town agreed to focus on purchasing a new fire truck. In the past the fire department has applied for grants several times with no luck.

This time with the help of Young, Jerrell and Curry, the fire department hopes to receive a grant to help pay for the estimated $225,000 fire truck. The cost is just for the truck itself, not the equipment it will also need.

In order to move forward with this grant and to hopefully receive it, the town and the fire department will have to provide 10 percent of the matching funds, permits, the specs of the truck and site control.

The town already has a grant with OCRA for the Doe Creek Lift Station. It was noted by Curry that the town could only have two grants open at a time with OCRA. Therefore, the town needs to prioritize its projects as it can only apply for one this year until the lift station is complete.

After a discussion about both projects, the council decided it would be best to apply for the fire truck grant.

However, OCRA will only fund $150,000 of the $225,000 for the truck. Funding for the rest will have to be found elsewhere.

As the council approved to move forward with this project an income study will need to be done with the help of Jerrell for all those affected by the fire department.

The fire department will also have to provide all interlocal agreements along with its application.

Jerrell will begin the process right away as the proposal for the grant is due by March 21.

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