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The Lowndes County Commission considered a possible revenue opportunity during its Sept. 9 meeting and heard from Deborah Stewart with Avalon Consulting about a grant which could fund the county’s road work.

Stewart presented the information via a Zoom meeting and described Reconnecting Communities Pilot money available through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“The grant application is due Sept. 30 and I have started putting the pieces together for it,” Stewart said. “This grant opportunity, I felt, is perfect for Lowndes County because it provided for a planning grant in addition to a construction capital grant. It is my opinion that the planning grant should be the one we go for.”

According to Stewart, the three-year grant funds a maximum of $2 million to fund removal, retrofitting or mitigation of an existing facility to restore community connection to conduct public engagement and other transportation planning activities.

“They’re looking for projects that will reduce inequities across transportation systems and the community they affect,” Stewart said. “Focal points would include affordable accessibility, multi-model access to daily needs such as jobs, education, healthcare, food, nature, recreation to foster equitable development and restoration.”

Additionally, Stewart explained that equity-related objectives would include housing supply, locally-driven land use and zoning reform, “Main Street” revitalization and mobility to prevent isolation and provide transportation or remove some of the barriers to transportation. The project could also cover technical assistance and planning.

If awarded the grant, Stewart outlined a requirement that the county provide $400,000 in matching funds which could come from existing sources like facilities, donated time or contributions from donors or the federal government.

Technical difficulties prevented commissioners from discussing the situation at length with Stewart, who was asked to talk directly with County Engineer David Butts and County Administrator Jacquelyn Thomas to discover available match funding before reporting back to the commission.

“I would like to suggest that those things you need from the county commissioners, you email Ms. Thomas and Mr. Butts as soon as possible,” King said.

In other business, the commission:

• Appropriated $5,000 each to libraries in White Hall, Fort Deposit and Hayneville;
• Approved a request from Lowndes County Athletic Director Ervin Starr and granted $2,500 each to The Calhoun School and Central High School athletic departments;
• Heard Butt’s report on repairs to Julian Town Road and Collirene Cutoff Road; and
• Requested an update on flood plain violation compliance.

The Lowndes County Commission will hold its next meeting on Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m.