VALE – A $250,000 grant from the state will pave the way for a city project to renovate F Street next summer.
The money comes from the state’s Small City Allotment Program that designates about $5 million a year to subsidize transportation projects in the state’s smallest towns.
Todd Fuller, Vale city manager, said the city applied for the grant in August and was notified of the $250,000 outlay Nov. 18.
“It will cover that gap in funding we needed to finish F Street,” he said, noting the plan is to completely rebuilt the street.
“Tear out everything down to the base, redo the base and come in with new asphalt. Right now, it’s pretty bumpy and compacted in places and sinking,” said Fuller.
Fuller said the work is tentatively scheduled to be done between June and August.
The city already has one bid – $290,000 from Sunrock, a Boise-area construction firm – to work on F Street but Fuller hopes there will be more soon.
Fuller said the city typically allocates $50,000 to $60,000 each year for street work. He said the city street budget could be used to boost the grant money from the state.
“We can request up to 50% of the funds up front and then, as the project progresses, we send in invoices to ODOT (the state Transportation Department) and they will send us the check for those amounts,” said Fuller.
Since Fuller began as city manager – in January 2021 – he said the city has collected at least $2 million in grant funds.
“There is a lot of money out there and more coming,” said Fuller.
Fuller said finding grant is all about networking – “just a matter of finding the right people to talk to.”
He said F Street is just one of the Vale roads in need of repair.
“We still have two miles of gravel roads inside city limits that I want to get paved,” said Fuller. “I understand it takes a lot of funding but how do we get creative and get funding? Going for grants. That’s how these little cities can do it,” he said.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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