City receives additional sewer funds

The City of Thompson Falls recently received news that they have been granted $450,000 through Montana Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Public and Community Facilities Program.

Thompson Falls Mayor Mark Sheets stated the funds will be applied to Phase III of the sewer treatment program and “if we happen to get Rural Development funds for Phase III, any remaining funds will roll into Phase IV.”

As far as Phase I and II are concerned, Sheets said both phases should take about 14 months to complete, contracts have been offered and a “pre-construction meeting will be held in the next few weeks.” As soon as all the paperwork is complete, Sheets noted that construction will first commence at the sewer lagoons. “I would expect this to start the end of this month or next month,” weather permitting. Line crews are anticipated to lay sewer lines sometime in March.

Sheets commented that the sewer treatment project has received funding from multiple sources - “combinations of grants, loans, sewer improvements loans.” Currently, there are two grant applications awaiting legislative approval.

There is a $750,000 Treasure State Endowment Program application on the table, of which Thompson Falls is ranked “number two at this point,” according to Sheets. The second application has been submitted to the Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for $125,000. The city is positioned as number 11.

“Without the Rural Development, there’s no way we could do this project,” Sheets said, paying respect to another contributing financial program. He commented that USDA Rural Development funds are profoundly relied on to pick up the balance of the project. “They are the last piece of the puzzle,” he said, adding that he feels confident in the city’s financial position regarding the sewer project.

“Commerce’s CDBG Public and Community Facilities Program provides funding to local governments to address community needs, including building or improving public infrastructure and constructing or rehabilitating facilities such as shelters, food banks, mental health centers and senior centers,” a Commerce press release stated.

Thompson Falls utilized CDBG funds to renovate Ainsworth Community Park. “We couldn’t apply for CDBG earlier because Ainsworth was still open,” Sheets commented. Now that Ainsworth is complete and CDBG grant funding has closed on that project, the opportunity was available to apply again. Just in time to support Phase III of the sewer project.

In all, 12 Montana communities received equal portions of the $5.2 million CDBG total. Funds are to be primarily used for water and wastewater system infrastructure and public health facilities, commented the Department of Commerce.

“Projects like these strengthen Montana’s communities,” Community Development Division Administrator Jennifer Olson said in the press release. “These funds support communities as they continue to provide vital services and respond to their local needs and challenges.”