| Grant
moneys are awarded
The West Camas Transportation Planning Council was notified this week that they will receive grant funding for 2 projects in this area, totaling approximately $415,000. The first, slated for Fiscal Year 2007, provides $171,000 for a new vacuum sweeper truck for the City of Cottonwood & occasional use by City of Ferdinand. Roy Uhlenkott and Jack Duman collaborated in writing this application. The second project, for $243,000 beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, purchase a new tandem tanker/computerized application truck and some liquid magnesium chloride to be deployed for dust control on local roads and streets. The Ferdinand, Greencreek, Fenn, Cottonwood & Keuterville Highway Districts and City of Cottonwood partnered together to make this project feasible and will each contribute money for the 7.34% local match. David Poxleitner, of Keuterville Highway District, worked with commissioners & representatives from each group and Riedesel Engineering from Meridian, Idaho to develop this project application. In addition to these, West Camas members have had 3 other projects funded that are in progress or will start in the next year. We are in the final stages of a &105,000 Transportation Planning project that gathered public input on local improvements, created 5-10 year improvement plans for each member, and upgraded standards for new roads and access. We thank all those who provided valuable input to this process. You will be seeing some new, upgraded street & highway signs over the next few months. This is a project of 5 members of the West Camas group and was successfully funded for $30,000. Joe Forsmann wrote this application with valuable assistance from Ferdinand Mayor Paul Schmidt. Lastly, Fenn and Keuterville Highway Districts will receive approx. $85,000 to chip seal 8 miles of Graves Creek Road next summer. The application for this project was developed and written by Dave Poxleitner. Changes in state and federal highway funding formulas and amounts have made these occasional small grants more important to cities and highway districts all across the State of Idaho. The clear trend over the last few years is less budget dollars coming in from annual funding sources and prices for road maintenance equipment, asphalt, and diesel fuel rising substantially. The State of Idaho plans to increase local reliance on competitive project application programs to decide who and what get funded. To avoid any decline in the quality of local roads, depleting local budget reserves, or being forced to raise local property tax levies, members of the West Camas Transportation Planning Council are eyeing and, in some cases, using the grant funding sources available to them. If you have questions or comments, please contact one of your commissioners or city council members. |
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