Wayne County awarded pre‑engineering TAP funds for sidewalks; county must confirm local match by month end

Wayne County staff told commissioners on Oct. 6 that the county received an award under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for pre‑engineering work on a proposed sidewalk and pedestrian-connection project.

County staff said the application originally targeted sidewalks from the KFC area through Bill Morris Park and connections to schools and recreational facilities; staff later expanded the scope to reach the $1.7 million threshold GDOT/ federal rules required to be eligible. The award covers up to $500,000 for pre‑engineering; staff said the grant would provide approximately $400,000 in federal funds with a $100,000 local cash match for the pre‑engineering phase.

If the county proceeds to the construction phase (pending completion of pre‑engineering and future application rounds), construction could be eligible for a larger grant but would require a 20% local match. Meeting discussion listed an estimated total project cost previously calculated by staff at about $1.7 million for the full buildout; staff noted that engineering alone is now expected to cost more than earlier estimates because federal procurement and LAP (local administration procedures) requirements apply.

County staff said the grant administrator requires the county to confirm whether it will provide the local match by the end of October. Commissioners discussed possible sources for the match, including SPLOST, local supplement funds, or general fund dollars, and asked staff to collect more detailed cost estimates and options for scaling the project to meet grant thresholds.

Ending: County staff will provide more detailed budget options and a proposed local match plan before the end-of-month deadline so the commission can decide whether to accept the grant and move to the construction phase later.