Trenton fails to secure grant for Trenton Municipal Utilities projects

American Rescue Plan Act Grants or ARPA website
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Trenton failed to get funded on its applications for an ARPA grant that was sought for upcoming Trenton Municipal Utilities projects. Trenton had requested an American Rescue Plan Act water infrastructure grant of $5,049,040. The local match was $50,000.

The grant process with the Department of Natural Resources was very competitive. There were a thousand applications from municipalities and water districts across the state which collectively had applications requesting more than $2.4 billion. The state reported it had $410 million available.

Trenton Municipal Director Ron Urton said Trenton had applied for grant funding in two categories, water, and wastewater, for proposed projects. Urton described the selection criteria as very factual and based on data such as local unemployment rate, percentage of households in poverty, the income levels in the area of the proposed project, median household income, current user rate as a percentage of median household income, outstanding debt, and whether any existing compliance issues with DNR. In these areas, Urton said Trenton did not score, or scored low. Only 40 points were given to the Trenton application out of an eligible 125 points. Urton says TMU will proceed with the projects being planned, but instead of doing one project for water and one for sewer, Urton said it will have to be broken into two phases and completed over a few years using local funds.

The federal government had previously allocated ARPA funds directly to the city of Trenton. Approximately $1,200,000 was used to construct a new water main to the wastewater treatment plant and to place a liner inside the 21-inch sewer main that runs from Normal Street to the airport.

According to the Department of Natural Resources news release, area communities recently selected for ARPA drinking water grants include Gallatin, Novinger, Galt, and Carrollton. Listed as eligible for a grant but placed on a waiting list from this area are Newtown, Humphreys, and Marceline. Selected for wastewater infrastructure ARPA grants were from this area are Unionville and Grant City.

Among area communities selected for lead service line inventory ARPA grants are Spickard, Galt, Humphreys, Newtown, Ridgeway, Gallatin, Carrollton, Marceline, and Novinger.


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