By By SHERRY DIGMON
Advance Staff Writer
A grant awarded by Gov. Don Siegelman Monday will benefit about 200 residents just outside the Atmore city limits.
The $500,000 grant will enable county officials to extend sewer service to about 62 households. Local matching funds of $56,000 have been pledged by the county for the project.
County Administrator Tony Sanks said the match must be a cash match. Earlier this year, the Escambia County Commission asked the city of Atmore and the Atmore Utilities Board to assist with the match. City attorney Joe Thompson advised the Atmore City Council that the project was not eligible for city funds. However, the utilities board pledged $28,000 to assist the commission in meeting the match.
Now it's just a matter of the commission coming up with $28,000.
The project area includes a portion of Johnson Street, a portion of Martin Luther King Avenue, a portion of Terrace Street and America Street.
The project will be awarded on a competitive bid.
Gov. Siegelman also awarded a $500,000 grant to the city of East Brewton to rehabilitate the Mayo/Andrew Jackson neighborhood in the central area of the city. As a result of the grant, 15 deteriorated housing units will be renovated to meet safety and other housing codes. The project also calls for road repairs and for the construction of sidewalks and water and storm drainage facilities, and includes sidewalk and street improvements around W.S. Neal High School and Middle School.
According to a press release from the governor's office, these are two of 34 projects approved for funding this year. Requests for funds were received from 90 applicants.
Grant funds are made available through the Community Development Block Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are administered in Alabama by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).