By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb was credited at the latest meeting of Decatur City Council as being a major factor in a state program which has paid off big-time for this city.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced on Nov. 7 that Decatur has been warded $810,5098.10 in a Community Crossing grant, to be used for milling and paving streets.
Berne was awarded $579,883 from the same program while Monroe will get about $264,000..
Each community must provide a 25% match, which will amount to approximately $253,300 for Decatur and roughly $144,950 for Berne.
Decatur’s match will boost the total amount for the repaving to $1,013,135.12.
That will mill (remove top layer) and resurface at least nine streets next year, city Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert has said. In addition, the city usually adds another sum of funds to extend the effort.
This year, CC funds milled and resurfaced 11 streets and city funds add paving for six alleys and two streets.
It is believed that this latest CC grant is the sixth to be received by Decatur in the last seven or eight years. Gilbert estimated that each grant was worth between approximately $600,000 to $800,000.
“It’s been a great program for us. We’ve been very, very fortunate. We’ve paved streets that hadn’t been paved in 35 years,” Gilbert said.,
Mayor Dan Rickord agreed with how valuable the CC program has been to the city. “I’m glad Jeremy has jumped on this for us every time (grant applications are taken).
“Gov. Holcomb has been focused on smaller to mid-sized cities,” Rickord continued, indicating some larger communities have been complaining about it.
Holcomb will finish his second four-year term in 2024, and the mayor said he appreciates Holcomb’s efforts on behalf of smaller communities, adding that the next governor may not be so inclined.
NOTE: Decatur caught something of a break when the Census last year put the population the latest at around 9,600. The CC program requires a 25% match for cities under 10,000 and 50% for those over 10,000.
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