Daniel Prince
Council corrects error in previous resolution on Jonesville sewer project
In a meeting that lasted 8-1/2 minutes, Union City Council corrected a resolution they voted on at their previous meeting and voted on a new resolution, as well. Both resolutions dealt with matching funds by the city for grants for which they are applying. The grants will cover work on sewer infrastructure.
The corrected resolution was for matching funds for the Jonesville sewer project, which the county and city are jointly applying for grants to make a reality. The total price tag of the project is over $9.7 million, with the city and county seeking more than $7 million in grants from the US Economic Development Administration, as well as $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grants from the SC Department of Commerce and $800,000 from the SC Power Team. The old resolution put the wrong amount that the city would commit to paying if the CDBG and SC Power Team funding did not come through. The corrected total is up to $1,311,675, which City Administrator Joe Nichols said would go down if the other grant sources come through. If the EDA grant does not come through, the county and city will be unable to proceed with the project, which would extend industrial sewer up 176 to the Trakas Industrial Site and the Town of Jonesville. The city would take over Jonesville’s wastewater system, as well. Council voted unanimously to adopt the revised resolution. Council members Greg Addison and Chasity Pearson were absent.
The second resolution is for sewer upgrades in the Monarch Mill, Excelsior Mill, and Union Mill areas. City Administrator Joe Nichols said this will clean up some of the final areas in these sections that had not been addressed in previous sewer projects. The areas in Monarch fell out of the last round of grant funding due to not meeting the SC Department of Commerce’s threshold for low-to-middle income residents. This time, thanks to work done Utilities Director Lance Davis to get the income surveys filled out by more residents there, the income threshold has been met. Nichols said the work will be done in the area across from Mon Aetna Baptist Church near the fire department, specifically Park, Boyd, Lowry, and Walker streets. College Street in the Excelsior Mill area is the last road needing the sewer work done in that area, and North Enterprise Street in the Union Mill area is one of if the last if not the last street in that area that needs sewer work done. Total cost of the project is $1,353,718.20. The city will be applying for a $460,000 grant from the SC Rural Infrastructure Authority and the county will apply for $440,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding. The city would provide the balance of $498,718 and any additional funds required to complete the project. Council voted unanimously to adopt that resolution, as well. The meeting then adjourned.