Lt. Gov. Crouch, OCRA Announce 21 Communities To Receive $12.9 Million In Federal Grants

Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced Tuesday that New Richmond and 20 other rural Indiana communities are getting more than $12.9 million in federal grant funding to create and expand community facilities and improve water infrastructure.

For New Richmond specifically, the town is getting $700,000 for a system-wide comprehensive rehabilitation of overall water system component. This will include wellfield, water treatment plant and distribution system. This will enhance water quality with iron / manganese removal, eliminate dead-end water mains, reducing water loss and increasing flow as well as increasing fire protection.

“Quality of life is important for rural areas in Indiana, and these grants will help several Indiana communities make needed improvements and upgrades,” Crouch, who is also Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, said. “As communities across the country age, funding infrastructure projects is becoming more and more important, especially water and wastewater projects. I am pleased to see many Indiana communities focusing their efforts in these areas.”

The State of Indiana distributes Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities, which assists units of local government with various community projects such as infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.

“Community Development Block Grant funding can be transformational in improving the quality of life in rural towns and cities,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “Over 20 Hoosier communities will now have nearly $13 million in financial support to carry out projects for public facilities, blight clearance and water infrastructure.”

The Public Facilities Program creates and expands community facilities that enhance the lives of residents in numerous ways. Eligible projects include fire stations, community facilities, libraries, museums, community centers and performance spaces that open doors to knowledge and ideas, culture and enjoyment.

Projects receiving Public Facilities Program grant funding include:

The Town of Brookston is awarded $500,000 for the construction of a new fire station. The new building is approximately 7,500 square feet. The building will include six pull-through bays, shower/decontamination areas, a designated room for equipment storage and a second level mezzanine to be utilized for additional training and storage space. The site will also include parking and an access drive along South Street.

The Blight Clearance Program strives to encourage Indiana communities with blighted properties to focus on long-term community development and revitalization through improving quality of place, generating jobs and spurring economic revitalization. Eligible projects to receive grant funding through BCP are deteriorated or abandoned downtown buildings or vacant and unusable industrial sites.

Projects receiving Blight Clearance Program grant funding include:

The Town of Versailles is awarded $358,600 to clear a blighted former gas station known as the Raider Gas property. This project will include the acquisition and demolition of the existing building, as well as demolition of the driveway and concrete parking areas. Additionally, the project will include the removal and disposal of four underground tanks, removal of contaminated soils from the tanks, backfill, and environmental testing and reporting to provide a safer and more sanitary environment for residents.

The Stormwater Improvement Program strives to reduce flooding, cut stormwater treatment and energy costs, protect rivers, lakes and vital landscapes, and generate jobs to spur economic revitalization. Types of activities eligible for this grant funding include stormwater improvements, as well as demolition and/or clearance.

Projects receiving Stormwater Improvement Program grant funding include:

The Town of Cicero is awarded $455,440 for improvements to the town’s stormwater system in the Brinton Street area. The project will consist of cleaning and lining 1,380 feet of stormwater mains, rehabilitation to six manholes and four new cut connections to help prevent flooding.

The City of Dunkirk is awarded $600,000 to reduce the flooding of neighborhoods located in the southeast portion of the city. The proposed project consists of two new stormwater detention ponds at Broad Street and A Street in the City of Dunkirk. The project also includes the replacement of a portion of Dunkirk’s existing gravity storm sewer system to accommodate storm water released from the new ponds.

Newton County is awarded $500,000 to address drainage issues affecting The Plaines subdivision. In addition to new drainage pipe installation, the project also includes reconstruction of the existing regulated drain flowing from 300 North southwesterly to an existing culvert under US Highway 41, and then to an intersection with Beaver Lake Ditch.

The City of Brazil is awarded $600,000 to rehabilitate and extend the drainage system in the areas of Lenox Street, Murphy Avenue, Epworth, Pine, Beech, Sycamore and Hendrix Streets to address flooding and inflow/infiltration into the wastewater system.

The goals of the Wastewater/Drinking Water Program are to protect the health and environment, reduce utility rates for low-to-moderate income communities and improve rural infrastructure to enable long-term economic growth. Eligible Wastewater/Drinking Water Program projects include many aspects of wastewater improvements and drinking water system improvements.

Projects receiving Wastewater/Drinking Water Program grant funding include:

The Town of Modoc is awarded $700,000 to rehabilitate the existing wastewater treatment plant and the town’s main lift station. The project will also include extensive collections system upgrades and will bring all components of the system up to code, while maintaining their current rated treatment capacity.

The Town of Swayzee is awarded $700,000 for improvements to their wastewater treatment plant. The project will include an increase in capacity of the wastewater treatment plant and process improvements, which include conversion to an oxidation ditch, new headworks, two new clarifiers, UV disinfection, and other related improvements will help lead to an increase in capacity.

The Town of Roachdale is awarded $700,000 to make improvements to the wastewater system. This project will install an equalization basin, rehabilitate manholes, reline wastewater mains and make structural improvements to a beam at the wastewater treatment plant.

The Town of Lynn is awarded $700,000 to make necessary improvements to its water utility system. This project consists of installing new water lines, hydrants, valves and building a new elevated water tower.

The City of Martinsville is awarded $700,000 to rehabilitate several sanitary sewer pipes in the wastewater collection system in need of re-lining to alleviate current infiltration problems as well as to extend the life of the pipes. This work will greatly improve the function of the sanitary system in the areas of interest and prevent impending issues that will impact the local residents.

The Town of Goodland is awarded $700,000 to update the current lagoon system with sand filters and UV disinfection system. This will allow for year-round discharge and increased control of the lagoon system. The town will also install a lift station. This addition will relieve the strain of the town’s other main lift station by taking 1/3 of the town off the aging existing lift station.

The Town of Osgood is awarded $581,481 to replace a water main by direct drilling and modifying the existing clearwell at the water treatment plant. This will result in the plant being able to produce treated water.

The Town of St. Paul is awarded $697,000 to demolish the 60,000-gallon elevated water storage tank, rehabilitate the 100,000-gallon storage tank, replace existing supply well No. 1 and replace the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system. Additionally, the project will rehabilitate the water treatment plant, replace customer water meters and install ten hydrants and main line valves. These improvements will result in the system operating efficiently, and will reduce water loss and safety issues at the water plant and water tanks.

The Town of Medaryville is awarded $700,000 for upgrades to the wastewater system. The improvements include rehabilitating three lift stations, backup power for three lift stations, wastewater treatment plant power upgrades and replacing a culvert on the wastewater treatment plant drive.

The Town of West Lebanon is awarded $700,000 for wastewater treatment improvements, including converting the existing facultative lagoon to an aerated lagoon. The project also includes collection system improvements, such as raising, replacing and resealing manhole castings.

The Town of Marengo is awarded $700,000 to improve the health and safety of the residents on their wastewater system. This infrastructure project will see improvements at five locations in town including construction of a backup clarifier at the treatment plant, as well as upgrades at the four pump stations in town.

The Town of Arcadia is awarded $577,800 to upgrade the town’s drinking water system. The drinking water project includes a new water tower, updates to two wells, new water mains and water main replacement with removal of lead containing pipes. The project also includes Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system improvements and new fire hydrants to increase fire protection. This project will provide the quality and quantity of water needed to keep Arcadia thriving with an environmentally safe water supply.

The Town of Hebron is awarded $423,500 for wastewater collection system improvements. These improvements will reduce the inflow and filtration through the rehabilitation of existing sanitary sewers and manholes.

The Town of Lizton is awarded $700,000 for improvements to the town’s wastewater treatment plant and collection system. The project will make improvements to selected portions of the collection system to reduce inflow and filtration. Additionally, the project will provide the town with adequate capacity, increasing both reliability and efficiency in the wastewater system.

Funding for OCRA’s CDBG programs originates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program and is administered for the State of Indiana by OCRA. For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/cdbg.