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Clarksburg Awarded $940,500 Sidewalk Grant

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During the regular meeting of Clarksburg’s Mayor and Aldermen on Monday night, Mayor Howell Wayne Todd announced the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) awarded the City a $940,500 Multimodal Access Grant for the construction of sidewalks in town.

“We have been working on a grant for sidewalks for three years, and to say we are grateful and excited wouldn’t be sufficient. We are ‘over the moon’!” Todd said. “It will add so much to the appearance of the town, but more importantly, it will improve safety and convenience. Traffic has increased on Highway 22, and there just isn’t any place for a person to walk without walking on the grass or the highway.” Clarksburg’s plan calls for sidewalks to extend from the City Park to Highway 22 and then on the east side of Highway 22 to the dollar store. Another segment will connect the supermarket parking lot to the Post Office on the west side of Highway 22.

Alderman Barbara McClure said “I am excited for this wonderful grant that will benefit our town and be enjoyed by so many. It will provide a safer environment.” Alderman Judy Grant Smith also expressed her delight with the grant. “It will really improve the looks of the town as well as being a great benefit,” Smith said.

The Mayor and Aldermen also approved an offer from TDOT to deliver the project through TDOT’s management and construction. TDOT is extending this option to communities within Distressed and At-Risk counties such as Carroll County. “To have the option for TDOT to do all the work is a significant bonus for us because it eliminates the need for us to go through a lengthy process of selecting a private firm. The City will need to be heavily involved during construction, but TDOT will engineer it, construct it, and be responsible for meeting standards.” Todd said. The Mayor did not indicate a start date for the project but said he expected it to begin in the spring. He said the next step would be awaiting TDOT’s Local Programs staff to set a calendar.

There was discussion of the use of the City’s allocation of Federal ARP funds flowing through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The Mayor said “We have two aging sewer lift stations which are nearing the end of their expected life cycle, and we have to place a priority on how we are going to replace them. The cost for replacing a single station is estimated to be $200,000.” “I surely hope we can leverage these funds to address these stations, but the initial eligibility requirements are challenging,” said Todd. “We are working to comply with the requirements.”

In other business, Todd provided updates on the addition to City Hall and the December financial reports were approved. Immediately following the meeting the planning group for the City’s annual Valentine Breakfast detailed responsibilities for the Saturday, February 12 event at City Hall. The Breakfast is the primary fundraiser for maintenance of the City Park. The next regular meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen is February 28.