Committee backs Columbia County application for roughly $2.3 million Local Road Assistance grant

The Columbia County Development and Planning Services Committee on May 13 recommended approval of the county’s application for the Local Road Assistance (LRA) program, which staff said carries an allocation of about $2,300,000 and requires an application before June 15.

A staff member told the committee that recent state legislation and the governor included money for the program and that county staff prepared a list of roads and estimated costs to submit with the application. Committee members moved the item on consent and the motion was carried without further public discussion.

Why it matters: The LRA program provides state funds intended to assist local governments with road repairs and maintenance. The county must submit the application by the June 15 deadline to be considered for the current allocation. The committee’s action was a recommendation to approve the application; final approval and funding remain subject to the program’s awarding process.

Details: Staff said the application packet includes a list of specific roads and estimated costs but did not read those line items into the record. The county’s allocation cited at the meeting was “just over $2,300,000.” No opposition to the application was recorded during the committee meeting. The committee did not adopt any binding changes to the list of roads during the session.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with the application submission prior to the June 15 deadline. Any award of funds would be handled through the county’s normal acceptance and budgeting processes if and when the state notifies the county of an award.