Consultant outlines OCRA grant opportunities, timelines and costs for water, stormwater and public facilities

Mike Kleinpeter of Kleinpeter Consulting Group presented a primer on Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant programs and what the town must do to be competitive.

Kleinpeter described the range of OCRA programs: water/wastewater grants (up to $750,000, generally requiring a 20% local match), stormwater grants (up to $750,000 with a 10% match), public facility grants (up to $750,000 for facilities such as fire stations or community centers), blight-clearance grants (up to $500,000 for qualifying commercial properties) and owner-occupied rehab grants (up to $350,000 with a 10% match; individual homeowner awards limited to $25,000). He emphasized that OCRA awards are competitive and scored; projects that most directly improve residents’ daily lives score well.

Kleinpeter flagged several procedural and cost considerations the town should plan for: a preliminary engineering report (PER) appropriate to the funding route (a simple PER can be short if matching funds are on hand; SRF partnership typically requires a more extensive PER), site control or easements, a required environmental review the consultant charges $5,000 to perform (minimum 90 days), a SAM registration that must be kept current, and a local match commitment and resolution by council.

He noted OCRA runs two construction rounds each year (June and December). The December round is the one in which municipalities can team up with the State Revolving Fund for large projects; timing considerations mean the town would likely need to start PER work in the summer to meet a December submission window. Kleinpeter offered to help the town prioritize one grant application at a time (OCRA typically allows three open grants) and said his firm does not charge an application fee but does charge for environmental review.

Council members asked about typical costs, timeline and matching strategies. Kleinpeter said he has helped many similarly sized communities place projects and that the town’s engineer and financial advisors would work with his firm during the preparatory phase.

What this means for Edinburgh - Potential maximum OCRA awards: water/wastewater up to $750,000 (20% match), stormwater up to $750,000 (10% match), public facility up to $750,000, blight clearance up to $500,000, owner-occupied rehab up to $350,000. - Required tasks: decide and prioritize one application, complete a PER, secure site control/easements, budget for environmental review ($5,000) and adopt a local-match resolution if pursuing a grant. - Timing: begin PER work promptly (recommended this summer) to be competitive for the December round if pairing with SRF.

Kleinpeter closed by offering to assist with applications and environmental reviews and answered council members’ procedural questions.