Water district readies federal funding application for additional projects By LARRY SEE JR. A grant application through the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan program is being readied – and Meade County Water District officials are hoping it’ll be approved so they can lay some pipe soon. During a special meeting May 25, water district general manager Joe Bartley explained there was a possibility of some grants being acquired from the USDA program. Under the terms, the county qualifies for a grant which is 45 percent of whatever the project cost. For example, for every million dollars the project cost, $450,000 would come as a grant and the remaining $550,000 could be borrowed at a very low interest rate through Rural Development. “We have two projects in mind for this rural development money,” Bartley said. The first would be water lines along KY 228 near Wolf Creek and the second would be water service in the Rhodelia/Concordia area. Both are located in the western section of Meade County. “This would certainly fill a need for water out on the lower end of Meade County,” Bartley said, adding he wanted the board’s approval to start the paperwork. Commissioner Wesley Prather asked how the grant funds are determined, to which Bartley replied the county is divided into three areas under classifications determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Those are Payneville-Battletown, Brandenburg and Flaherty. The criteria for this grant was for the Payneville-Battletown area. “These (projects) are in the Battletown-Payneville area and they qualify for a grant. I don’t know if improvements to Fred Fackler Road does, but I can check on it and if it does it could be an add-on,” Bartley said. Two residents from Fred Fackler Road were in attendance, seeking water line continuation. Water district commissioner Keith Boothe suggested the district might want to see if adding water to the Big Bend area is feasible. Under the proposed plans, the water line would run along KY 228 but would not traverse KY 1047, which enters Big Bend. “It has got to depend on how much we’re going to have to borrow,” Bartley said. “This grant would be a great opportunity to do this for that end of the county.” Cost estimates or a decision as to when funding might be forthcoming wasn’t immediately available. In a related matter, commissioners heard two Fred Fackler Road residents question when water would be available there. Bartley explained the district was unable to obtain necessary easements, thus the project could not proceed. He encouraged the residents to keep appearing to keep them abreast of the situation. “We need the input and will relay to the board that you are interested,” Bartley said. He added the proposed project didn’t meet the criteria for in-house funding, adding the project previously was completed using other grant funds. Click Here to Go Back
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