Cheney looks into getting more grants to help fund roadwork

By DAVID TELLER

Staff Reporter

The nice thing about grant funding is that it's free money and Cheney may get more of it.

The city of Cheney is looking into obtaining another grant to replace water mains and resurface streets. Interim public works director Todd Ableman said he wants to submit an application to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help fund the needed projects.

The CDBG funds eligible activities that include infrastructure and other needs of low-income communities throughout Spokane County. Last year, the CDBG program funded almost $1.7 million in Spokane County.

Cheney has received numerous grants under the CDBG. Since 1995 Cheney has received over $1.4 million in grants for street projects and two water well projects. Last year, Cheney was awarded almost $149,000, which the city applied toward street work on North Third, Third, Fourth and Mary streets. Cheney has completed almost 75,000 linear feet of street and water main projects with the CDBG funding almost 16,000 feet of the project.

The largest contribution to Cheney came in 1995 when the city received almost $178,000 for over 2,500 linear feet of roadwork, which was done on North Second and Fourth streets. The following year, Cheney received another $175,000 for work on Third and Fifth streets, which was the lengthiest project at 3,144 linear feet.

Ableman presented the information at a public hearing at both the Planning Commission meeting and the last City Council meeting. As part of the CDBG program, Cheney is required to conduct a public hearing to entertain potential CDBG projects for next year

The next project Ableman said he would like to apply for grant funding, if it is awarded to Cheney, would be on the Well No. 8 construction. Ableman also said funding would be applied to replace 1,300 linear feet of deteriorated and undersized water mains on L and West Fifth streets and possibly Bonnie Way.

Ableman said in an email the next step is submitting an application the to CDBG by Nov. 10. The final recommendations for the grant from the county is scheduled for March 2009.

If someone wanted to comment on make comment on CDBG eligible projects, they may attend the public meetings, which are held yearly. He said the public could attend CDBG board meetings and hearings also.

David Teller can be reached at [email protected]