Council OKs $10,000 right-of-way appropriation and establishes grant line items for Bridge 51 and Charlestown Road

Wood County Council on May 13 approved an additional $10,000 appropriation to the Bridge 51 right-of-way fund and established two new grant line items for federally funded projects: the Bridge 51 grant and the Charlestown Road grant.

County staff said the grants are reimbursable federal projects and noted that the original funds came from the motor vehicle Highway 1173 account; the State Board of Accounts advised that reimbursements should not be returned to that fund, prompting the creation of new line items.

A county consultant under contract to remove a local dam, Jerry Sweet of Ecosystems Connections, is working through permitting with the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, staff said. Officials said they expect permits by the end of the month and hope to obtain an exemption to work during restricted creek months because of a threatened or sensitive salamander species found on site in a prior survey. Staff said the contractor estimated the physical dam removal could take approximately five days to one week once permits are in hand; subsequent bank reestablishment would follow.

Council members described grant match ratios: Bridge 51 was described as an 80/20 grant (county 20 percent match) and the Charlestown Road project as a 90/10 grant, with the county paying the lower matching share and the federal or state program covering most construction costs. Staff said the Charlestown Road construction is effectively 100% covered for the county’s portion of construction costs and that the county’s share is primarily inspection or the small local match.

The council approved item 2a (the $10,000 appropriation) and item 2b (establishing the two grant line items) by voice vote.