Water projects being considered for Greene County’s CDBG grant money
WAYNEBURG – Several waterline and sewer projects are under consideration for Greene County’s annual allotment of Community Development Block Grant money.
All of the applicants who came forward during the public hearing Wednesday with hopes of receiving all or a portion of the $217,304 grant said they planned to use it for waterline or sewer projects if awarded the CDBG funds.
The grant money is earmarked for projects in low- to moderate-income areas and available to all municipalities in Greene County except Franklin and Cumberland townships and Waynesburg since those communities have a separate pathway to CDBG money. Greene County’s CDBG Administrator Crystal Simmons said waterline and sewer projects are typically the best fit to receive the county’s allotment of the grant money.
The most vocal applicant was from Monongahela Township, whose officials said they need the grant to continue meter replacements for customers with hopes of merging Dunkard Valley Joint Water Authority into the larger Southwest Pennsylvania Water Authority.
The water authorities are still working to secure a major grant from Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to pay for half of $14 million needed to upgrade the infrastructure for Dunkard Valley customers so that system can be merged into Southwest. Although CDBG money must go for “ready-made” projects, Simmons said, Monongahela Township said they would use it on meters to upgrade the current system and future defray costs for customers.
“It’s to get reliable and clean water there, which has been bad for years,” township Solicitor Kevin O’Malley said. “We’re so close right now. We’re only a few years away from Southwest taking over.”
Monongahela Township received a combined $280,000 of CDBG money in 2012 and 2013 for projects to replace the meters, although it’s only spent about $41,000 of that allocation thus far, township Supervisor Bill Monahan said. O’Malley raised concerns the 2012 money is set to expire in October, although Simmons suggested they meet to discuss how to resolve that problem.
Other applications announced at Wednesday’s meeting included a sewer line extension in Wayne Township to a dozen homes in the Oak Forest Road area of Brave; a request from Dunkard Township officials to use the money to purchase a pull-behind jet truck to maintain sewer lines in the Dunkard-Bobtown Municipal Authority; a waterline extension for 18 homes on Hull Run Road in Morgan Township; rehabilitation of the pumping station and wastewater treatment facility in Rices Landing; and a waterline extension on Mt. Morris Road in Whiteley Township.
This was the first of two public hearings before public comment is closed June 30. The county commissioners are expected to make a decision in October about which project should receive the grant before sending the formal application to the state in November.
Simmons said they are continuing to accept applications and public comment through correspondence to the county CDBG office.
Waterline and sewer projects have been chosen in recent years to receive the county’s CDBG money.
Wayne Township received CDBG money in 2011 and 2012 for water projects in Brave. Morgan Township received the funding in 2014 for a project on Happy Valley Road. A sewerage project in Greensboro received the grant allocation last year.