August 3, 2023 |
Photo – City Manager Tom Sarvey – Bigfoot99 file photo
The city of Rawlins will once again apply for federal funding to address the failing water infrastructure. To have a greater chance at being approved for the grant, city officials will only request money to design the system.
Last year, the city of Rawlins suffered a water related catastrophe. Drought conditions combined with broken pipes created a situation where residents were without safe drinking water for nearly a week. Later in the year, city officials asked the State Loan and Investment Board for a $7.5 million-dollar American Rescue Plan Act grant to repair the water infrastructure. Rawlins received no federal money.
During Tuesday’s Rawlins city council meeting, City Manager Tom Sarvey said SLIB was offering one last round of ARPA grants. Sarvey said the city was taking a step back. Instead of asking for federal funding to replace the city’s water infrastructure, Sarvey said the plan was to request $1.5 million to design the project first.
Sarvey said state representatives suggested Rawlins have a clear plan to present to SLIB before requesting millions of dollars for a project. The city manager said the ARPA grant would be used to determine exactly what work needed to be done. Sarvey said the city could apply for future grants to perform the needed repairs.
Sarvey said the grant needed to be submitted by this Friday, August 4th. The city manager said SLIB would choose the ARPA grant recipients in October in Cheyenne.
Sarvey told the council that two resolutions needed to be approved. The first resolution would allow him to apply for the ARPA grant. The second would set aside city funds to cover 51% of the grant match. Councilwoman Tonya Lewman motioned to allow Sarvey to request a $1,500,940 ARPA grant from SLIB.
In her motion, Councilwoman Lewman said the city would provide a $765,480 match, totaling 51% of the grant total. The motion passed unanimously.
Councilman Darril Garner motioned to approve the next resolution; the city’s grant match of $765,480. Sarvey said matching 51% of the grant makes it more likely the city will be approved for federal funding. The city manager said $675,000 of the match would come from a state mineral royalty grant. Sarvey said the state money can be used to match the federal grant.
Sarvey said the remaining $90,480 needed to make up the grant match would come from the cash reserves of the city’s water enterprise fund.
The second motion also passed unanimously. Councilman Chris Weisenburg thanked Sarvey for his work on the grant application. Councilman Weisenburg asked the city manager to keep the council up to date on the grant process.
Weisenburg said the council would like to accompany Sarvey to the October grant presentation ceremony in Cheyenne.
