Block grant could benefit county utility upgrades

Dyer County will have an opportunity in February to apply for a grant to benefit water and sewer facilities, community livability and housing rehabilitation projects.

The application process began Monday night with a public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant program. Bob Thornton, vice president of Nelson-Thornton Community Planners in Jackson, reviewed the grant guidelines.

The county did not consider any specific projects during the public hearing but some county commissioners said they'd heard something about a grant for a water system. Dyer County Mayor Richard Hill said the Dyersburg Suburban Utility District hopes to apply for a grant. All grant applications must be filed by the county and funds funneled through the county. Hill said the utility district will be responsible for providing any matching funds.

Hill said he was emphatic that the county has too many grants requiring matching funds. "We're going to do the paperwork for (Dyersburg Suburban) ... but that's all we're going to do," he told commissioners.

County Commissioner Alan Burchfiel said a few folks in the RoEllen community can't get well water and they don't receive enough water pressure from the Dyersburg city water system for that to be a reliable supply.

Hill told Burchfiel that Dyersburg is responsible for water services in the RoEllen community and the city must address that issue.

CDBGs are available in four categories:

* Water, such as the construction of new water systems, repair of existing systems, line extensions and the correction of water sources, storage and treatment plants. The maximum grant is $500,000 with the applicant providing 18 percent matching funds.

* Sewer system construction and repair, sewage plant construction, stopping sewage infiltration into water lines and line extensions. The maximum grant is $500,000 with the applicant providing 18 percent matching funds.

* Community livability projects, such as fire protection, drainage and street repairs. The maximum grant is $300,000 with the applicant providing 16 percent matching funds.

* Housing rehabilitation in a very defined, small area for low-income homeowners. The maximum grant is $500,000; no matching funds are required.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development ranks the applications on community needs, project need, project feasibility and project impact. Each project must meet at least one of three national objectives: Benefiting low- to moderate-income persons, eliminating slums or eliminating conditions harmful to health, safety or public welfare. Thornton said 95 to 97 percent of all applications meet the first objective.

Thornton said the state will accept applications in February and will probably announce the winning proposals in September or October 2010.

The last CDBG the county received was used to improve sewage systems in the Tigrett community. The county's portion, known as Phase I, has been completed, Hill said. Phase II is being handled by the town of Friendship, he said.