By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The City of Decatur is once again going to the Community Crossing well. And why not? The state program has proven to be hugely beneficial to the city in recent years.
Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert told the city’s board of works and safety at its latest meeting that a new CC program is opening up “and this time we can apply for up to $1.5 million (from $1 million in the past).”
If that amount is awarded, the city would need to add a match of 25%. The grant and the match would bring the total to near $2 million.
“It’s a gamble, but we’ve been very successful with this (program) in the past,” Gilbert said. “It’s provided great improvement to our neighborhoods.”
A plan has been put together to seek the funds to improve various streets and sidewalks, approximately 2.24 miles or 20 blocks of the latter.
The plan also includes upgrading handicap ramps around the city, ramps “which we have had a lot of problems with,” Gilbert said. The city continues to improve the ramps in order to stay in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
To move forward with the CC application, the board gave Gilbert permission to spend up to, but not over, $30,000 in engineering costs with USI Consultants, an Indianapolis firm which as worked with the city on several other projects.
Gilbert said the application needs to be in before the first of July.
Mayor Dan Rickord, who in the past has praised Gov. Eric Holcomb for his strong support of the CC program, put forth a note of caution.
He pointed out that the program will remain intact for 2025, but its future can’t be guaranteed since a new governor is set to take over in January.