Knowing what was planned for later in the day, even the fiasco of last Wednesday could not remove the smile from my face. The good news I am sharing in this Mayor’s Corner should make all water customers happy, as well. In October, I received a phone call concerning two separate grant awards, which have now been confirmed in writing.
The Town attorney and a representative from the Corps of Engineers met in my office at 11 a.m. last Wednesday for completion of paperwork approving the acceptance of $1.52 million. At 2:30 p.m. the same day, we received more good news. Marlinton and Richwood have both received Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Both are Mon-Forest Towns and will receive the maximum amounts of $3 million each, toward the towns’ respective utility projects.
This does not mean the upcoming project is fully granted. But, it does mean the Town of Marlinton has now been “granted” a total of $13,120,040 toward the Town’s water-sewer/storm-water project. This has been a big-bite for a little Town, but we are getting there. These are grant-dollars that citizen water-customers will not have to finance. With another potential grant award expected early in the new year, this fully funded project could be moving toward the advertisement to bid in early summer.
Sam