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Belmont council authorizes city to apply for USDOT SMART grant for trolley project
Summary
Council authorized the city to apply for a USDOT SMART grant to support the Belmont Trolley project in partnership with UNCC. The grant requires no local match and could fund rail rehabilitation, trolley‑barn systems and equipment; the council approved the application step and directed staff to oversee any award.
Belmont — The City Council voted to authorize the city to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation SMART Grant on behalf of a partnership that includes Belmont Trolley and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Nancy, a representative of UNCC and a member of the Belmont Trolley board, told council the grant—called SMART (Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation)—is a competitive demonstration program that could provide awards typically ranging from $250,000 up to $2 million and does not require a local funding match.
"It is trying to give money to ... political subdivisions of states to kind of run this new technology in the transportation sector," Nancy said. She described permissible uses that match the Belmont project: planning, preliminary engineering, rehabilitation of rail lines, systems development inside a trolley barn and acquisition of equipment.
Assistant City Manager Kevin Krauss told council that UNCC would assist in preparing the application and that the city would be the formal applicant and recipient of any award. He and others outlined administrative responsibilities: the city would oversee fund disbursement, verify work before payments, and comply with federal grant requirements and audits.
Council members asked about liability, fund-flow mechanics and whether the city would need to front costs. Staff said awards are likely to be reimbursement-based but could be managed through third‑party agreements to avoid the city floating large sums. Council voted to authorize staff to submit a Stage One SMART grant application.
What happens next: UNCC and Belmont staff will finalize application materials by the July 12 application deadline. If awarded, the city will return to council to review grant terms and any required agreements before executing a final grant contract.
