Following a series of conversations with Union County officials, Unionville Center and Richwood will receive the majority of attention for this year’s Community Development Block Grant funding.
Officials finalized project plans for state funding this week including holding the bid opening for work to be done in Unionville Center. The county received half a dozen bids ranging from $84,000 to $131,000 for a project with an estimated cost of $99,000.
Representatives from Community Development Consultants (CDC) of Ohio and Choice One Engineering were at the county commissioners meeting this week for the bid opening and second hearing for project plans that will happen in Unionville and the Village of Richwood.
“For the allocation program, we’re going to be spending it in Unionville Center. We’re going to be doing Railroad Street and the tornado siren replacement there,” said Thomas Perry, a planner with CDC. He added that the village officials also sent him a letter stating they wanted to get Cross Street paved as well.
Perry told the county board previously that the cost estimate for the work in Unionville would be $120,000, with $22,500 in CDBG project administration costs. If awarded, the total grant would $150,000.
For Richwood, Perry said they would try for the flex funds to do the parking lot on Franklin Street.
“They have their downtown parking lot and we’re just going to try and pave it over for them and add a few different things: an electric component, a park bench, a trash can and some drainage,” he said. “They’re willing to put in some leverage because they need that to get to the cost estimate and they’re willing to provide $15,000 in local funds for administration as well.”
The cost estimate for that project is $294,220 with $10,000 in admin fees, a possible $250,000 from CDBG and a total of $54,220 of local matching funds, according to CDC.
Perry said CDC will also submit for funding for Magnetic Springs in July. Those funds would be for the Regional Public Infrastructure Grant, which would go to work on the sanitary sewer project.
Perry said those CDBG funds would total $750,000 with $30,000 in admin fees. While there was not a listed local match, Perry provided a document that said those funds would include county general fund money converted from American Rescue Plan Act dollars into general fund money plus county funds for admin costs based on the size and scope of the project. At the time of the meeting, Access Engineering had not provided a cost estimate for the project.
Perry added that while the commissioners had concerns over possible federal requirements for the project, the county would be subject to state rules regardless of local input.
“State prevailing wage is generally higher than federal prevailing wage and you guys would be subject to state prevailing wage regardless if you’re using county funds, so that’s just something to think about,” he said. “We still have time for that. Those (grants) don’t open until July 1.”