Five Dale CDBG projects recognized

Five recently completed community and economic development projects were recognized at  Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission project summaries event held Oct. 29 at the two-year-old community swimming pool in Ozark.

Representatives from Daleville, Ariton, Midland City, Napier Field and Ozark joined SEARP&DC staff and board of directors members at a celebration of the investment into the local communities that topped $1.3 million in projects.

The SEARP&DC serves Dale, Coffee, Barbour, Covington, Geneva, Henry and Houston Counties.

Services provided include the Senior Community Service Employment Program, Head Start and Early Head Start, Community and Economic Development projects to include grants management, small business loan programs, mapping and the Wiregrass Transit Authority which provides public transportation services to Dothan and Houston Counties.

The five completed projects are in Daleville, Midland City, Ariton, Napier Field and Ozark, explained SEARP&DC Executive Director Scott Farmer.

“What’s great about the Community Development Block Grant program, which is a very valuable program for our community, is that it allows the communities, the citizens and the elected officials in the towns to prioritize what their greatest needs are.

“Projects range from water, sewerage, streets and even recreation projects like a community pool,” said Farmer. “Because of the versatility of the programs and the fact that there is not a tremendous community match requirement, they are very competitive.

“These infrastructure and community facility projects are a God-send to our communities and they are not an easy process as anyone who works with these applications can tell you,” Farmer added. “These five projects from Dale County are also Community Development Block Grant projects that have been completed in the last year or two.”

Daleville Councilwoman Katheryne Horace thanked Daleville Consulting Engineer Joe Harmon from David Hicks and Associates and SEARP&DC for their support of Daleville. “As you know you are very critical to us in that the CDBG grants allows us the 10 percent match,” Horace said. “That, financially, is critically important to us and we appreciate the guidance and knowledge in seeking those grants.

“As councilmembers we have all these ideas of we want for the city and (Harmon) is instrumental in steering and directing us to what would be appropriate within the guidelines of the grant.

Horace said that Daleville was awarded $450,000 by the CDBG for water line rehabilitation and street improvements benefiting 151 residents. “(Harmon) always says that you never know whether you are going to receive a grant until you try and if you don’t receive it, we’re prepared to resubmit it,” she said.

Farmer said that SEARP&DC has worked with Daleville elected officials to devise a comprehensive plan to help prioritize projects.

Other project summaries outlined were a $249,976 CDBG grant to Ariton for street improvements benefiting 87 residents; a $238,770 sewer system improvement grant to Napier Field benefiting 59 residents; a $78,440 grant to Midland City to extend public sewer service to serve Dixieland Dental and future businesses along U.S. Highway 231; and, $250,000 awarded to Ozark for construction of a community swimming pool benefiting 5, 692 residents.

State Rep. Steve Clouse said that he had been asked multiple times during the recent 2020 Census data collection period what the state stood to lose if the population numbers reported decreased. “These type grants that we are talking about today would be what is affected,” Clouse said.

State Sen. Donnie Chesteen agreed. “These grants help improve the quality of life in our towns, counties and cities,” he said. “In our small towns we do face challenges with our aging infrastructure and these grants help improve quality of life.”

Farmer said that SEARP&DC has been working with local communities in the seven counties for the last 50 years. He had high praise for the Community and Economic Development Department team comprised of Emily VanScyoc, director; Rachel Armstrong, CED specialist/loan manager; Andrew Windham, planner; Will Bridges, associate planner; and Glenda Chancey, executive assistant. “They work mostly behind the scenes to shepherd these projects from start to finish,” Farmer said.

In addition to the five projects outlined, Farmer said that there are also SEARP&DC projects in Clayhatchee, Level Plains and unincorporated parts of Dale County being served by the Newton Water Authority.

“There are also new projects submitted this year from Ariton, Midland City, Daleville, Ozark and Pinckard,” Farmer said. “We’re supposed to get news on those soon.

“Dale County is always active in applying for these grants,” he added. “We at SEARP&DC are blessed to be able to fulfill our mission which is to improve the quality of life for our regional citizens.”