Committee approves seven grant reallocations; staff to provide further EK Safe project detail

The Capital Projects and Bonds Oversight Committee approved seven grant reallocations July 16 after a presentation from Sandy Williams, executive director of the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.

Williams said the reallocations come from two rounds of the Cleaner Water program (appropriated under Senate Bill 36 and House Bill 1) and an EK Safe ARPA allocation. She told the committee these reallocations address projects that either did not move forward as planned, came in under budget and left funds to reassign, or needed small extra amounts to complete work so that federal dollars need not be returned.

Representative Petrie and others pressed Williams about one Knott County Olive Branch storage-tank project and whether it was a replacement for flood-damaged infrastructure or a new high-ground installation. Williams explained the EK Safe-funded work supports high-ground subdivisions that replace infrastructure which could not be rebuilt in continually flood-prone low-ground locations so that assets are not repeatedly replaced. "What we're doing with these reallocations is making sure that we don't have to send any of these federal dollars back to the federal government," Williams said.

Co-chair McPherson voiced concern that "something slipped through the eye of a needle" in the allocations; Williams agreed to provide more detailed written explanations to the committee. After a final roll-call the committee approved the seven reallocations; a member explained a nay vote but after discussion one member changed to 'yes' and the measure passed with favorable expression.

Williams agreed to follow up with the requested project detail for the committee's records.