USDA Announces Grant Awards For Maintenance Equipment

The USDA has announced grant funding for several local governments that is intended to modernize maintenance equipment. The funding comes from the Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program that was part of a Disaster Relief Act signed into law in June of 2019.

The City of Albany will use a $60,000 grant to purchase a wheel loader and vacuum excavator that will allow for excavation where the use of traditional equipment is restricted.

Gentry County will receive $70,000 for an excavator for the county’s road and bridge department. The department services over 200 bridges in Gentry County.

Washington Township of Harrison County was awarded a $121,300 grant to purchase a motor grader to maintain the township’s roads. Washington Township has more than 30 miles of roads and many ditches and culverts.

A $22,700 grant will be used by White Oak Township of Harrison County to aid in the purchase of a newer model motor grader that is necessary due to mechanical failure of its aging machine. Flooding in 2019 resulted in the township needing to make repairs to its 44 miles of roads, ditches, and culverts that is over and above the normal maintenance needed.

The city of Savannah was awarded a $33,700 grant to purchase a dump truck with snowplow attachment, pickup truck, and ditch witch with vacuum trailer to maintain city roads, property, and utility lines and four breathing apparatuses for the city’s fire department.