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McDowell County moves to pursue disaster-recovery grants, approves sheriff vehicle purchases and EWP application
Summary
The board authorized applications for CDBG-DR recovery funds (targeting a senior center expansion, 911 center and animal shelter), approved a $649,729 reimbursement resolution to buy nine sheriff vehicles, and authorized an application for USDA Emergency Watershed Protection funding.
The McDowell County Board of Commissioners on April 20 approved several administrative resolutions to pursue federal and state disaster-recovery funding, to finance sheriff's office vehicle purchases and to apply for USDA watershed protection aid.
CDBG-DR authorization: County staff said they will seek Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to support three priority projects: a small expansion of the Old Fort Senior Center (to add programming and disaster-shelter capacity), improvements to the 911 center (staff said a $1.5 million USDA allocation has been identified but is not sufficient to complete construction) and a replacement or upgrade for the animal shelter. The board approved a resolution authorizing submission of applications for those projects.
Sheriff vehicles: The board approved a reimbursement-resolution that permits the county to front the purchase of nine sheriff's office vehicles (a mix of models) at a purchase price presented as $649,729, with the county to be reimbursed when financing is completed and payments to be amortized over an anticipated financing term.
USDA EWP application: Staff also recommended pursuing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program for long-term debris removal and watershed protection related to storm recovery; presenters said the program could provide more than $5 million in federal and state funding but is administratively complex. The board approved a resolution to apply and to proceed with engineering and site identification; staff said soil-and-water identified over 40 candidate sites.
Board action: Each resolution was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with grant applications, secure engineering for EWP if awarded, provide more detailed cost and scope estimates for the 911 center and senior-center expansion, and finalize financing arrangements for the vehicle purchases.
Source: Administrative reports and staff recommendations to the McDowell County Board of Commissioners, April 20.
