Centerville Tidbits
Fête des Lacs Needs Volunteers
At the Centerville City Council meeting of March 11, Council Member Tom Lee made a plea to the public for Fête des Lacs volunteers to come forward. He said that between 40 and 50 volunteers are necessary to make the city’s 2009 summer festival a success. Residents who are interested in volunteering may contact Lee at Lee_Family@ q.com.
Council Authorizes Grant Application
At the Centerville City Council meeting of March 11, council members authorized City Engineer Mark Statz of Bonestroo to expend up to $5,400 to prepare a Public Facilities Authority grant application which would fund up to 25% of the cost of “green projects.”
Statz said that part of the city’s 2009 Street and Utility project would qualify for the Clean Water Fund money, which is channeled from the Environmental Protection Agency through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and will be distributed on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
“Essentially, you’re taking a $5,000 bet to see if you get $200,000,” he said.
Normally, Statz said, qualifying projects are wastewater and sometimes large stormwater projects, but that the PFA funding is “no longer just a loan program.”
Although the downtown redevelopment stormwater pond project may also qualify for grant funds, council declined to authorize preparation of the application until the final pond location is determined.
Th e grant application paperwork, due by June 17, was characterized by Statz as “onerous,” but Council Member Jeff Paar said that the possible payback on the city’s investment was “substantial.”