Grant ideas needed

NORTH EAST — The Town Board talked about its ideas for the Community Development Block Grant application, which will soon be due back to the county, at a special meeting held Monday, Aug. 16. But more importantly, it set a date for a public hearing at which the board is hoping to hear from the community about what it thinks would make good projects for the county to fund with up to $150,000 — the maximum amount awarded under the block grant program.

Part of the board’s discussion last week had to do with its lack of success in the past few years with the grant program. Its last success story was in 2008, when the town worked in conjunction with the village of Millerton on the water main construction project that took place exclusively within the village.

Town Engineer Ray Jurkowski suggested the board discuss the prospects of future applications that could potentially have more merit, like a culvert (some say bridge) on Old Post Road No. 2, near Sawchuck Road, that needs to be completely replaced.

Another project the engineer recommended was creating sidewalks and crosswalks, and improving pedestrian access, on Route 44 east of the village. Town Supervisor Dave Sherman said he would be interested in getting more data on such a project.

“We do not have any information currently with enough detail to define what a potential project like that would be or entail in costs, and what that would take to develop,� he said. “So in order to work with the Department of Transportation [DOT] and to make some evaluation, the board agreed to ask Ray to prepare an estimate to do some of this work.�

The good news is that Jurkowski said there would be no cost for him to prepare a quick scope of work and estimate on the cost for such a project for the board to consider before the application is due. That information can help the town decide if it wants to pursue such work, either now or in the future. However, it could entail more than just sidewalks and crosswalks. Streetlights, storm drains, road improvements — they could all fall within the purview of such a project.

Sherman said there are also projects that could be done by other entities, like the state DOT, in conjunction with the town. Such agencies could oversee work like road improvements, which could be dovetailed into other projects, like improving pedestrian access to businesses in the Boulevard District. Thinking creatively is just fine, the supervisor said, the goal is to increase the town’s chances of winning those grant dollars.

“We just want to have some project ideas on the table to discuss,� Sherman said. “And then hopefully receive other ideas submitted to the Town Board at the public hearing.�

The public hearing for Community Development Block Grant ideas is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m., at Town Hall. Residents are encouraged to participate.

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