The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
Herald/Review
BISBEE — With more than $460,000 in requests and only $335,000 to disburse, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors has begun the process to whittle down requests for funding through the Community Development Block Grant project.
In the end, the supervisors chose three projects.
During a work session Tuesday, the supervisors met with county grant coordinator Patty Lewis to discuss which projects look the most promising and have the greatest chance to be funded.
|
|
Since May 2006, several projects have been on the table, including the lead abatement program, a sewer project involving Pirtleville and Bay Acres with the city of Douglas, a community restitution coordinator, a tax education program, a sewer extension program in lower Huachuca City, an Americans with Disabilities Act improvement at Quality Hill county offices, work on a drainage way in Fry Townsite, street improvements in Winchester Heights, and playground facilities at Wesleyan Preschool and Childcare Center in Willcox.
Lewis determined the ADA improvements at Quality Hill and the lower Huachuca City sewer project were not eligible to receive funds.
The Douglas sewer project was pulled by the city.
“The city has changed the scope of the project, and it only involves the city now,” County Administrator Jody Klein said.
Lewis added there also were numerous right of way problems with it.
The requests for the restitution coordinator and the tax education program were going to require significant amounts of time for program monitoring and reporting, Lewis told the supervisors. She felt these were not strong contenders as grant recipients.
The childcare center was going to require a special income survey of all the patrons who send their children to it. Lewis said that process was under way.
Richard Searle, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, was supportive of the childcare playground request and said the community had put a lot of effort into getting the facility built.
“I really am behind this and would like to have this considered by the rest of the board,” he said.
The lead abatement program had the support of all three supervisors, as did the Fry Townsite drainage way.
The drainage way is a collection basin during rains. People leave trash, shopping carts, drug paraphernalia and other garbage in the wash. When it rains, it clogs the waterway and the roads can flood. So far, no homes have been in danger of flooding, but the supervisors agreed it was a hazard and needed to be corrected. The plans are to concrete the wash and remove overgrown foliage along it.
The Winchester Heights street improvement project was put off until the next go-around due to right-of-way issues and needed additional funds.
Supervisor Paul Newman was disappointed that none of the grant funds were going to the district he represents, which is District 2. He asked if the Grand Theater in Douglas, which is undergoing renovations, could be considered as a recipient.
Lewis cautioned that there was little time to get all the information needed for a grant application and that it had to serve the public in general.
May 1 is the deadline, and the board must approve the applications in a meeting before they can be turned in for consideration.
The supervisors asked Lewis to go with $37,500 for lead abatement, $232,000 for the Fry Townsite drainage way project and $20,000 for the childcare center.
County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday:
- Did not approve a travel reimbursement request of Judge David Morales because expenses were more than six months old.
- Approved the revised memorandum of understanding for membership in the Upper San Pedro Partnership, which allows for the partnership to elect its own chairman. The chairman’s seat was originally to be filled by the Department of Water Resources, but that person declined to serve in that capacity.
- Approved the Trails End Subdivision plat, a six-lot light industrial complex on Buffalo Soldier Trail.
- Agreed to hold a joint work session with the city of Douglas to consider partnership opportunities related to the construction or reconstruction of county facilities in Douglas.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Shar Porier can be reached at 515-4692 or by e-mail at shar.porier@bisbeereview.net.
Patty wrote on Jan 18, 2009 10:40 PM: