Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Grant Groundwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning staff seeks quick grant submission for groundwater monitoring under regional environmental‑justice program
Summary
Albany County planning staff described a fast‑moving opportunity from the Mountains and Plains Environmental Justice grant hub to fund groundwater monitoring, community outreach and installation of monitoring wells; staff will submit an application and return to commissioners for ratification at the April 1 meeting.
County planning staff told commissioners on March 18 that a regional Mountains and Plains Environmental Justice grant opportunity could fund groundwater sampling, community outreach and monitoring well installation in developed areas of a county groundwater protection area.
David of the Albany County Planning Office described the proposal as a package that would produce a plan, perform voluntary household groundwater sampling, conduct community outreach to design the study with residents, and potentially place monitoring wells for longer‑term sampling. He said the opportunity opened the preceding Monday and closes March 31, which prevented staff from returning with a finalized application before the deadline; the board was asked to allow submission now and ratification at the April 1 meeting.
Why it matters
The proposed project aims to establish baseline and trend monitoring in developed portions of a groundwater protection area. If funded, the project could provide county‑level water‑quality data and community‑designed sampling plans. Staff said there is no match required and that the county would likely pursue a Tier‑2 request (up to approximately $250,000) to support the work across an anticipated two‑year timeline. Brady and Hailey (grant staff) told the board they were already working on budgets and narrative materials.
Board discussion and next steps
Commissioners asked about grant strings and eligibility; staff said the grant is regionally administered (DBPA region covering Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas) and is competitive, with no match specified. David said the county would present a ratification request at the April 1 meeting after submitting before the March 31 deadline.
Who spoke (from transcript)
David (Albany County Planning Office), Brady (county grants staff), Hailey (county staff assisting with the application).
Provenance and timing
Staff framed this as a discussion item because the application deadline precedes the board's next meeting. The board endorsed submission and requested a ratification item for its April 1 meeting.
