Valley County approves applications for two grants: probation counseling and Safe Streets planning

Valley County commissioners authorized two grant applications on June 16: a Central District Health mini-grant to fund counseling services for the probation department, and an application for the federally funded Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant.

The Central District Health mini-grant requires no local match and would pay a vendor to provide counseling for probation-related clients. The clerk moved to authorize the grant writer to apply; the motion carried by voice vote.

Commissioners also approved applying for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program’s planning component, which funds comprehensive safety action planning that can support later construction project funding. County staff said the planning grants are competitive but that ample funding currently exists for the planning phase. The board’s discussion noted the program’s standard financing structure: the planning grant example discussed was a $250,000 award requiring a 20% local match (approximately $50,000).

County staff proposed using the economic development budget match line to cover the $50,000 required match for the Safe Streets planning application; commissioners indicated that was an acceptable option but did not finalize a match-funding appropriation in the meeting. Staff also said they would coordinate with partner jurisdictions (City of McCall, City of Cascade) and Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) as stakeholders and that the county’s crash-rate data strengthened the application.

Both grant authorizations carried by voice vote on June 16. Staff will pursue the Central District Health mini-grant with no match and submit the Safe Streets planning application with the intention of identifying the $50,000 local match within the county budget or other eligible accounts before grant acceptance.