PHOTO: Falguni Patel, who serves as a Principle Planner for TARCOG, discusses the grant with the DeKalb County Commission. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — (Full Video at the Bottom) To begin Tuesday’s meeting of the DeKalb County Commission, Commission President Ricky Harcrow announced that District I Commissioner Shane Wootten was absent because his mother had passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Commissioner Wootten’s family.
For the first item a public meeting was held with a representative of the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments to discuss a grant application.
Del Schafer, along with TARCOG Representative Falguni Patel, who serves as a Principle Planner for the organization, were present to discuss the project with the commission and the public. County Roads 608, 1000, 1001, and 1002 will be paved with the funds if the grant is approved, which are located in the Valley Head area.
“We’re here today to conduct the public hearing for CDBG grant the county is applying for. CDBG stands for Community Development Block Grant, it is a program that is administered by ADECA, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, and it utilizes HUD funding,” said Patel.
Patel would explain that the grant awards funds up to $350,000 for infrastructure improvements to enhance the health and welfare of citizens for areas of low to moderate income.
The grant, if awarded, will be for a total of $256,422.39, with the county matching $79,001.18 in labor, equipment, and engineering costs. The project will benefit 149 households and 578 citizens in the project area.
Commission President Ricky Harcrow said, “We appreciate you being here this morning and giving us an overall explanation of that; a lot of detail that went into it. A lot of survey work that had to be done. We appreciate all the ones that had a hand in that particular process. Is there anything else that we need to do, other than receive this information and ya’ll proceed? ”
“At this point no, the only thing that will be is that we will send you some signature documents late on that need to be signed. And there will be some resolutions that need to be passed, since you know, we a matching requirement,” replied Patel.
“I know this is a plus for Shane Wootten and the people that lives up there, and we appreciate on behalf of Shane Wootten all that ya’ll have done,” said Commissioner Jackson.
“This is a plus for the people that live up there. I have been up these roads and they are absolutely horrendous,” added Commissioner Chris Kuykendall.
“It’s a plus for the road department too,” said Road Department Director Tom Broyles.
“Now to be honest, this is not a done deal. This is not something that’s for sure. We’ve applied for it, and hopefully through all the process, we’ll be awarded the project. We’re working at it,” said Harcrow.
“It looked like from the number of beneficiaries and everything, it looks like a pretty good project, so our hopes are high,” said Patel.
“I appreciate being able to help you. As she said the numbers are very good, this is a project that when you look at the cost benefit and the number of person you can benefit, and what you are asking for,” added Schafer.
“When it gets down there, they score these depending on what else comes in, but this is a project that depending on what their needs are next year, if it doesn’t make it this year, then this is a re-submittable project,” explained Schafer. “You can’t get much better for what you are trying to do than this project, you can only get bumped out by someone that has more beneficiaries and a bigger project, but this looks really good.”
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