The City Council in Pinehurst approved Wednesday for City Administrator Robbie Hood to pursue disaster funding from multiple sources. Hood was authorized to receive applications for grant administration services and engineering services to handle post Harvey projects.
The city administrator identified several issues he wants to pursue as part of a mitigation action plan. The first is elevating several sewer lift stations out of their flood-prone locations. Another application will be put in place for drainage control. Hood said, “We’re trying to move forward the best we can trying to get available funding.”
Hood indicated the grants would all be 100 percent from the agencies instead of the normal 75 percent with the city responsible for the other 25 percent. The grant applications will be made to several agencies including FEMA, Community Development Block Grants, and the Texas General Land Office. The Pinehurst City Council authorized Hood to review the applications and then make a recommendation to them at the council’s March 13 meeting.
The timing for applying for the grants is important. Hood indicated that Orange County was one of 16 counties that were rated heavily hit by Harvey and thus should receive preferential treatment in any grant applications. “I thank the council for authorizing me to start the first process in procurement,” Hood said in appreciation.
Pinehurst Police Chief Fred Hanauer received approval from the council to apply for two grants on Wednesday. The first is a Homeland Security Grant that will be used to purchase three mobile radios for the police. The cost will be $14,317. The second is a Justice Assistance Grant to buy software that will be used for ticket writing and assisting Hanauer in preparing his annual Racial Profiling Report for the city.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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