Monticello to looks toward next grant for infrastructure

Monticello aldermen met last week and handled a routine agenda, including preparation for future grant funding for water line improvements.
Mayor Martha Watts reported to the board that she is looking at water meter reports across town. For the town to qualify for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), it must meet certain income thresholds. The process requires a sampling of 20 percent of the households, and the report will be good for five years.
Watts asked aldermen to be prepared to help round up that sampling to help the town qualify for the grants. The next round of CDBG funding will be used for water and sewer upgrades. Parts of Monticello still have very old asbestos water lines that are having more and more maintenance problems. Many have been replaced in recent years, but there is still work to do.
A pre-construction meeting was to be held earlier this week for water tank repair and maintenance at the old Kellwood manufacturing location. The current installment of water line work, funded by a current CDBG grant, will begin around the end of May and will include Jolly Dr., McPherson Dr., F. E. Sellers Hwy., Cowart Pl., Cougar Dr., and Smith Ln. The work will last about six weeks.
Watts said much of it will be done underground with boring equipment that will not include excessive digging.
Members of the board recessed the meeting until 5:30 p.m. May 18.

Read more in the Lawrence County Press – May 13, 2020 E-Edition