Millerton looking for block grant ideas

MILLERTON — The village is looking toward the future and trying to figure out the best way to attain money from the county in the form of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), an annual program that allots up to $150,000 to municipalities working on specific projects.

One of the prerequisites of the application process is to hold a public hearing, so that community members can have their say as to where the funds should go. At its board meeting on Monday, July 20, the Village Board decided to hold that public hearing at its next meeting, set for Monday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.

“We need to get some public input to get some ideas of what to apply for this year,�
said Millerton Mayor John Scutieri, adding optimistically that things could progress from there, that very night. “And then we might make a decision after the public hearing.�

Usually the county favors projects that focus on infrastructure or affordable housing — two categories that frequently top the county’s priority list. But there are other projects that can get approved as well, although the lower they fall on that list, the less likely they are to win any grant dollars.

Recently the village has been awarded CDBG money to work on water projects, tying into water lines and hydrants throughout the village and looping up with the town’s water district as well. It’s also won block grant money to transform an old, vacant lot on South Center Street (the former Peter Woods property) into municipal parking for Rail Trail users and other visitors to the village.

The maximum block grant award is $150,000, although not all recipients are awarded the full amount. Applicants compete with each other for grant money; it’s not a given those who apply will be successful in garnering any money.

This year the board has discussed using CDBG funds for sidewalk repairs, which falls under infrastructure on the priority list.

“That’s the direction the board is going to lean in, but we want to listen to see if any others [at the public hearing] have ideas,� Scutieri said.

The sidewalks that need the most attention in the village, according to the mayor, include those on the eastern most part of Main Street, across from where Salisbury Bank & Trust is constructing its new branch building. There are more sidewalks needing attention around the corner where Duxbury & Hermans Insurance is and a couple of other side roads that Scutieri said “have sidewalks that are so bad people can twist ankles.� In total it’s estimated that 1,000 to 2,000 feet of sidewalks could be replaced with the help of the block grant program.

The grant application must be submitted to the county by Oct. 2; municipalities are usually notified of whether they’ve been awarded any grant money in late fall or early winter.