County agrees to submit $4 million federal grant application for Midwest Continental Divide Trail planning

The Saint Joseph County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 9 to support and sign a grant application seeking $4 million to plan and design the first 27 miles of a 60-mile Midwest Continental Divide Trail route through the county.

Bill Shaleo, economic development director, told the board the application is to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau under the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program. “What we're seeking to do is apply for a $4,000,000 grant, to help with the planning and design for the first 27 miles of the 60 mile Midwest Continental Divide Trail project,” Shaleo said. He said the 27 miles would be in unincorporated Saint Joseph County on the western and southern sides of the bypass.

Shaleo described the proposed funding split as $2 million federal and $2 million from the Midwest Continental Divide Commission, a body established by the state of Indiana with an ongoing $2 million-per-year funding stream. He said the grant opened Sept. 8 and the kickoff call was the previous Thursday, and that timing required acting on the application as new business.

Shaleo told the board the county would serve as the grant administrator through grants.gov but that no county matching funds were required, although staff time might be needed.

The board voted to authorize submitting the application and to approve commissioner signatures on a letter of support. The motion passed with recorded Aye votes from Commissioner Hazen and Commissioner Maxmeier; Commissioner Morton was not present for the latter portion of the meeting but the motion carried per meeting record.

Ending: County staff will submit the application and prepare the letter of support for commissioners’ signatures.