Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Sediment Study Dam Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County to seek ARC match for Canal Place sediment study as part of dam-removal planning
Summary
County staff said low bids for required Army Corps sediment testing returned around $1 million; staff discussed pursuing a 70/30 ARC grant split and a $300,000 local match split among partners to advance a dam-removal and trail project.
Allegany County staff told commissioners they plan to pursue Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding to cover the bulk of a costly sediment-testing phase tied to a Canal Place dam-removal project, and asked commissioners to authorize a letter confirming local match commitments to meet an application timeline.
Jeff, a county staff member, said bids to perform Army Corps of Engineers–standard sediment testing above and below the dam came back higher than expected. "The low bid was roughly a million dollars to do this," he said. He told commissioners the county and partners were discussing a 70/30 split with ARC covering approximately $700,000 and $300,000 in local match.
Staff outlined a potential split of the $300,000 match: $100,000 from the county (from the county's BF), $100,000 from the city pending mayor-and-council approval, and $100,000 from Canal Place or partners. Jeff said Canal Place had $100,000 already and that city staff indicated the city might contribute but needed to route approval through the city’s formal process.
Bobby Smith, referenced by staff for technical review, told the group he considered the low bid a credible proposal and that Army Corps standards require testing both behind and below the dam; if results are equal, remediation may not be required. Staff said the sediment study is necessary to move toward eventual dam removal and trail construction. Jeff said project partners hoped to begin trail construction in the spring if funding aligns, and noted a separate larger state funding request (about $4 million) would be needed for the dam removal phase.
Because ARC’s application timeline was imminent, staff asked commissioners to authorize a joint letter with the city confirming the match commitment so the application would not be delayed. No formal vote was recorded at the work session; staff indicated the letter and any formal match commitments would be finalized through the counties’ and city’s approval processes.
No federal or state funding was guaranteed; staff described ARC support as likely but not certain. Commissioners asked staff to prepare the required documentation and to coordinate with city officials so a joint application or joint letter could be submitted on schedule.
