NEWS
Bowie City Council decides grant benefit outweighs overrun
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors decided a hefty federal grant for generators outweighed a cost overrun allowing the city to move forward with the phase one purchase for the water plant.
During Tuesday’s meeting the council was updated by a state official on the status of the mitigation grant and the potential of additional funds for the overrun. Bowie has been approved for a multi-phase grants that would fund eight generators for the water and wastewater treatment plants, east lift station, raw water pump station, high flow pump station, the community center as it serves as emergency shelter and the emergency operation center at city hall, plus some portable generators to use at other lift stations if needed.
While federal grants can be advantageous they also are slowing moving with all the bureaucracy that comes with them. These grants were first applied for two years ago by Emergency Management Kirk Higgins and the original costs were estimated at $800,000. Two years later it was expected the prices would come in much higher and they have for phase one.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Also in your weekend edition, read the city manager’s monthly report on various projects.
NEWS
Early deadline for New Year’s week paper
The Bowie News office will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the Christmas holiday, and Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
There is an early deadline of 4 p.m. on Dec. 27 for the Jan. 1 Bowie News for all news and ad items.
Your Jan. 1 edition will be delivered to the mail and racks one day earlier due to the New Year’s holiday. We hope you have a great Christmas week.
Your Bowie News staff wishes you the blessings of a wonderful Christmas as you enjoy time with family and friends. Our offices will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the holiday.
NEWS
County obligates ARPA funds for sewer plant project
Montague County Commissioners wrapped up a few items before the end of the year as they met on Dec. 23.
Grant Coordinator Charley Lanier asked the court to go ahead and obligate $276,961.84 from the American Rescue Funds to complete the new wastewater treatment plant that will serve the courthouse complex.
He explained Dec. 30 is the last date where grant funds can be obligated, and he did not expect any issues since this project had already been approved in court using ARPA funds, he called it a “safety net,” to avoid any problem and possible return of the funds to the federal government.
Montague County has about $276,961.84 in grant funds which has not been allocated.
The court gave approval on the request.
Lanier also asked the court to apply for a grant for a tire cutter. Funded through the Nortex Regional Planning Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the application will ask for $26,865 to purchase a larger gas-powered cutter on a trailer, which can be moved around for use. It would cut the larger tires into four pieces, which would be allowed into a landfill. Lanier said if the cutter comes through the county would need to obtain a permit for its use from TCEQ, which he added should not be an issue.
Commissioner Mark Murphey said he picks up more tires abandoned on the county roads than he disposes of at his own yard, adding he probably has 500 at his yard. The court gave approval to apply for this competitive grant.
The remainder of Monday’s brief meeting were year-end items. Bonds for the justice of the peace one, county clerk, county attorney, district attorney, sheriff, commissioner three and constable two were accepted.
A cooperative agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the county was approved, along with a license and services agreement with Local Government Solutions to provide software for both justice of the peace officers. The county attorney’s Chapter 59 Asset Forfeiture report was presented with no new seizures or forfeiture.
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