The City of Athens will be applying for a myriad of grants in the next few weeks, in part to pay for upcoming projects as well as start initiatives for new ones.
City officials will be applying for two different versions of the community development block grant through a program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — the small cities grant and the critical infrastructure grant — which could each be used for a variety of projects that would be collaborated on with the county.
“This is the first time this city has applied for this,” Councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at large, said regarding the critical infrastructure grant. “It will be for $300,000, and the city is considering looking at the depot lift station as a possible project idea.”
The small cities grants would be used for more general city repairs, like sidewalks and small road improvements, Knisely said.
Council members continued their longstanding discussion about the grant during Council’s meeting Monday night. City leaders said they needed to further collaborate with county government to put the finishing touches on the application.
The city will also be collaborating on a “community housing improvement program” grant — often referred to as a CHIP grant by city officials — with the city of Nelsonville and Athens County, despite being earlier approved for the grant in September.
Mayor Paul Wiehl said the city is looking to apply for the grant with Nelsonville and the county simply to “sync up” applications, which typically appeals to state officials when reviewing eligible entities.
“The state has an initiative for these cities to bundle,” Wiehl said. “We’re kind of shortening our funding cycle to coordinate the funding process.”
The CHIP grant will be for $400,000, but will be divided between the cities and county, respectively.
Knisely added that these grants will be administered by the Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Program, perhaps more widely known as HAPCAP.
On the transportation end, city officials will be applying for the mobility manager grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation, which matches funding for the manager’s salary at Athens Public Transit and allows one person to oversee all the functions of transit in Athens, including Athens On Demand.
Athens’ current mobility manager is Lantz Repp.
“We’re not an island, and a need to look for a good transportation system in the county is necessary,” Wiehl said. “We’ve had this job for the past two years, and it’s worked out well.”
Finally, the city will be applying for the job access and reverse commute bus transportation grant through ODOT, which would allow Athens Transit to extend its hours and provide a new route that extends to Chauncey.
“As city council, we decided to take the lead in terms of obligating a sum of $20,000 to the transportation assistance program,” Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, and mother of Post reporter Will Drabold, said.
The state will match the city’s $20,000 in the future, after a collaboration with Athens County. Wiehl added that he foresees the new route to Chauncey being heavily used.
City officials will be hosting a public hearing regarding the CDBG grants next Monday at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, council president Jim Sands said, to gauge public opinion on what should be done with the small cities and critical infrastructure grant within the city.
It will be one of two hearings, he added.
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