October 12, 2022 |
In Rawlins, an income survey of residents needed as part of an application for two $1 million grants appears to be running into resistance.
A week into the process, city officials are seeing only a 10 percent participation rate from the 350 addresses identified at random by the state to participate in the survey.
Rawlins grants writer Andrea Hammond told city council that some resistance was expected. Hammond added a non-response rate above 20 percent would disqualify the city from the grants.
Pictured above: Letters ready to be mailed to random survey participants. Photo courtesy City of Rawlins.
The Community Development Block Grant program, operated by HUD, is intended is intended for projects that improve the quality of life for people with low or moderate incomes. Water infrastructure improvements qualify as eligible projects. Rawlins would use one of the grants for the water transmission line and the other for a new SCADA—a computer automation system that monitors motors, pumps and valves at the water treatment plant, as well as other parts of the city’s water and wastewater plants.
As reported previously, HUD thinks income levels for households in Rawlins fall outside of its eligibility requirements. At last week’s council meeting, Hammond reviewed the numbers with the governing body.
The WCDA, which operates the grant process in the state, provided city hall with a list of 450 addresses chosen at random to participate in the five-question survey. Letters were sent out last week to those residences with a heads-up about the door-to-survey.
As of yesterday, about half the residences had been visited in person. City officials tell Bigfoot 99 that the response rate of those 225 households is about 10 percent — far lower than needed.
Hammond explained to council last week how people’s sensitive income data is being collected and handled.
Hammond acknowledged that the task is a heavy lift that has to be accomplished on a short timeline to be successful. The information needs to be collected over the next two weeks and submitted with the CBDG application, which is due October 31st.
Rawlins City Council members had no comments or questions when asked last week.
