Adams, Jackson townships each awarded $1 million in grants
Adams Township and Jackson Township were awarded millions in grants as part of the Butler County Municipal Infrastructure Program. Adams Township received $1,000,000. Jackson Township received $1,102,948.35.
MIP grants utilize the county’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to support local infrastructure projects. These funds are part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.
Jackson Township’s $1,102,948.35 award will fund a series of projects aimed at maintaining and improving the township’s defenses against stormwater flooding. The total cost of that undertaking is $1,296,448.35.
“We applied for several projects,” said Jackson Township manager Chris Rearick. “We were fortunate enough to get funding for key stormwater projects.”
These projects are the product of region-wide studies on stormwater flooding in the area.
“We’re part of a larger group of municipalities that have been working cooperatively on this,” said Rearick. “It’s very pragmatic because [the projects] help our municipality and also help our neighbors.”
Jackson Township is part of the Southwest Butler County Stormwater planning group — a coalition formed by several neighboring townships and boroughs in a region plagued by flooding.
“When I-79 was constructed, there was no requirement that stormwater be managed,” Rearick said. “That responsibility has fallen on the townships and boroughs — these projects aim to address and better manage that.”
The township’s concerns, however, are not limited to Interstate 79. Projects using this grant include managing water from Route 19, upgrading stormwater infrastructure on German Street and improving the Tollgate basin.
“We were really excited to get the money that we needed for those projects,” said Rearick. “It’s really part of a larger effort.”
Jackson Township will move forward by meeting with homeowner’s associations and property owners in the project areas. They hope to complete the project in 2024 and 2025.
The Adams Township board of supervisors called a special meeting Thursday night to discuss their award with the Butler County commissioners and the public.
“The reason for this meeting tonight is to kind of get on the same page on a few topics and subjects,” said Russell Ford, Adams board of supervisors chairman. “Not only on behalf of the county and the overall scheme of what they have to oversee, but for us as a group, it’s really in regard to our township residents and each and any of you that are here that are actually taxpayers.”
Adams Township has been awarded a total of $1 million in MIP grants for stormwater infrastructure. Of their six MIP grant applications, two were awarded.
The township requested $218,810.34 for Three Degree Road reconstruction, phase one, which is completed. They were awarded the full amount.
$1,264,358.10 was requested for phase two of Three Degree Road reconstruction. They were awarded $781,189.66. This left the project with an unexpected $483,168.44 shortfall.
The American Rescue Plan allotted $36 million to the county. According to documents provided by the township at the meeting, the expectation was that there would be more money than application requests.
“Although, yes, $36 million was the total pool, $12.77 million was allocated from that amount for these type of projects,” said Butler County solicitor Wil White. “When you’re hearing over 68 applicants for $68.1 worth of projects, it was from a pool of $12.77 million — of which you’ve received $1 million.”
The county met in 2021, with a variety of services, industries and municipalities to best determine how to use the $36 million in funds. Projects like the Three Degree Road reconstruction effort fell within the $12.77 million allocated by the county’s resolution.
“Thank you,” said Adams Township supervisor Darryl Brandon. “Maybe it’s the way information flowed or just miscommunication, but we operated on a number other than that. Our operation on that number set us on a different path.”
The township has not made a decision on accepting the award. The final decision will be made at the board of supervisors meeting Monday, Jan. 9.
“This is the way politics should work — it shouldn’t be backroom deals or whatever—this is the way we fix problems,” said Ford. “Hopefully from here there’s better transparency and communication on both parts.”
