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Published: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 09:39 AM

Funds depend on public participation

CLOVER -- 

Replacing water lines throughout town and new sewer lift stations for the Hilcrest Mobile Home Park and Cloverbrook depends on how many people return the surveys town officials mailed to hundreds of residents living in the potential project areas.

The funding Clover hopes to secure to proceed with replacing water lines on Brown, Watson, Armstrong, Queensgate, Carver, Dye, Kennedy, Beamguard, Fairview, Oakland, Sumter and portions of Carroway and Zion Church streets and Killian Circle, and the lift station replacements are tied to Community Development Block Grants. The federal grant money is administered by the State Department of Commerce through a 90/10 matching grant program, which means Clover only has to come up with 10 percent of the cost of the project.

But some restrictions apply.

“The population in the project area has to be at least 51 percent low to moderate income,” Clover Administrator Allison Harvey said. “The only way to prove this is with income surveys.”

The town sent such surveys, and letters explaining their purpose, to everyone who lives in the vicinity of the water and sewer projects that asked for information such as the number of people in the household and the household income. Harvey said the town doesn't look at the returned surveys, rather it sends them to the Catawba Regional Council of Governements which helps area municipalities apply for the CDBG funds.

“If the population in the project area doesn't meet the 51 percent LTMI standard, we might as well not even bother (applying),” Harvey said during Monday's Town Council meeting.

The Council unanimously approved a new “needs assessmen” list for 2010 Monday.The items in the assessment, which include water line and sewer lift station replacements as the top two items, are used to determine the projects for which the town will pursue CDBG funds.

Much of the preliminary work for the projects, including engineering drawings and environmental impact assessments are already done, and according to CRCOG's Grazier Rhea the costs associated with that preliminary work can be counted toward the town's 10 percent match.

Other policy changes for 2010 CDBG funds include removing housing rehabilitation as a potential type of project from consideration, but expands the types of work that can be used to count for the local portion of the projects. Towns can now count hours volunteered by residents to perform certain portions of projects toward the match, Rhea said.

Town officials asked recipients of the income surveys that will help determine the income eligibility portion of the grant applications to return them by last Friday (Jan. 8), but as of Monday, of the more than 200 surveys, only 26 had been submitted. Harvey said officials and community leaders in the project areas will be heading out into the community on Friday to speak with people in the project areas in order to get a better response.

“I can take them until the end of the month,” Harvey said. “But if we can't meet the income requirements we'll have to figure out how to address it another way.”

Grants ranging from $50,000 - $500,000 are available for water and sewer projects.

In addition to income requirements other factors that determine which projects get CDBG funding include the number people the projects benefit, the economic impact of the project, sustainability and various other criteria, Rhea said.

Other community needs included in this year's list include recreation improvements such as additional playing fields, funding more sports and activities, adding staff, paying for uniforms and trophies and building new trails; public safety improvements including upgrading in-car cameras from VHS to DVD and increasing funding for academy and other training; continuing efforts to enhance the downtown with more parking, street lights and handicap accessible curb cuts; addressing sidewalks and pedestrian access in low to moderate income areas; upgrading storm drains; promoting economic development; extending and upgrading infrastructure to expanding or new businesses; clearing unsightly areas; and performing neighborhood studies in low to moderate income areas.