Rosston council informed of potential disaster funding
ROSSTONÂ – Kattie Hardy, with the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District, told the Rosston City Council, at its February meeting Monday night, about possible funding to help clean up after the recent ice storm.
Hardy pointed out there had been a program through Arkansas Workforce which would have sent people to the area to assist with the clean up, but it had a short window for application – four days. Rosston Mayor Dale Quarles said by the time the community had gotten partially dug out and finished helping those in need, the deadline was a day away and there was no time to apply.
Hardy said there’s still funding to help, especially with damage to the water system, such as breaks in the water line. A bi-annual grant is available with the application deadline April 14. This grant, she added, is for cities with populations less than 50,000 and predominantly low income. The maximum, she continued, is $500,000, and is not a matching fund. However, should the community opt to “match” the grant, Hardy said, it could receive a higher priority than those who don’t. Contributions begin at 4 percent of the total project cost.
The first step would be to call an engineer and have a preliminary engineering report done, along with a cost estimate of the project. This has to be done by Feb. 24. A public hearing would also have to be held, but it could be done in conjunction with a council meeting. From there, the council would have to pass a resolution to apply for the grant.
Hardy told the council she’s working with Nevada County on its hazard mitigation plan, which is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to receive federal funding for disasters. However, she added, the state doesn’t require such a plan. These plans can take up to two years to complete, and the county is in the first year of the process. Input is taken from three to five databases, as well as from all mayors in the county.
As to state funding, Hardy said there’s a 75-25 cost share with a cap of $300,000. She suggested Quarles work with Nevada County Judge Mike Otwell to get funds from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) to help with the ice storm damage.
Rosston Treasurer Emily Evans submitted her resignation at the meeting, saying she’s going in a different direction, but would be available to help during the transition with her replacement, Melissa Hicks, who was approved by the council at the meeting. Evans has taken a job at the Springs of Hillcrest in the business office.
Hicks told the council she’s from Hope, but her husband’s from Rosston. She added she has a degree in business and accounting and worked with the housing authority. Hicks added she helped Evans when she was needed.
Evans presented a budget report saying the city’s finances are down, but there were unexpected expenditures and it was also time to pay for the memberships and dues due the first of the year.
Quarles pointed out everything also costs more than it did last year.
On the topic of a city generator, Quarles said there were issues with the one the city has during the ice storm, and he’s looking to buying one that kicks on automatically when the electricity goes off. The existing generator has to be manually started during a power outage.
He also lauded several members of the community for their help during the ice storm. He said things could have been worse if not for the assistance of Edd Cross, KD Coleman, Vincent Heard, Phillip McKinney and Ricky Hughey, who arrived within 10 minutes of receiving his call to help. They worked to clear brush and debris so people could get out of their homes.