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Consultant urges Medora to target OKRA $750,000 grant and schedule design kickoff
Summary
A consultant told the Medora board the town should pursue OKRA’s $750,000 grant (20% match) in March 2026, reapply where necessary to SRF/USDA programs, and schedule a multi‑hour design kickoff with engineers to improve competitive scores.
A consultant addressing the Medora Town Board urged the municipality to target an OKRA grant and to schedule a design kickoff to improve the town’s chances for infrastructure funding.
Mr. Batworth (S5) told the board that the town’s best path is to apply in the first OKRA round of 2026 rather than the very competitive October round. “That will give us all a little more time to get things finalized, designed and then match up another pot of money for you,” he said, identifying three primary funding sources the town will pursue: the state revolving fund (SRF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and OKRA. He explained OKRA offers a roughly $750,000 grant that requires about a 20% local match.
Batworth cited factors outside the town’s control — including how census data affects SRF scoring — and recommended a design kickoff with the town’s engineer, Aaron, and his team to assemble stronger applications. He also warned that USDA staffing reductions have slowed grant activity in some areas and suggested being prepared to reapply if first submissions aren’t funded: “Not everybody gets funded the first time around... I’ve had towns go in four times and get it on the fourth time,” he said.
Board members asked how to make applications more competitive; Batworth recommended refining three specific scoring points the state identified in prior reviews and emphasized that the heavy cost is preparing the first application, with subsequent reapplications less expensive.
The board agreed to schedule the kickoff meeting; staff will coordinate dates and circulate materials to support the grant applications and design work.
