Kent Council Committee approves on two project to get funded by the OPWC
Sara Al Harthi
Last night at the recent Council Committee Meeting on October 7th 2020 the service department requested the council’s approval to submit two funding applications and to perform the agreement with the Ohio Public Works Commission.
The Ohio Public Works Commission administers projects was created 35 years ago from two major groups of projects including infrastructure funding for roads, bridges, water supply, wastewater, solid waste, and storm water in addition to greenspace conservation and riparian restoration. See below for overviews of our major funding sources.
According to the OPWC funding program, Funding is provided through grants, loans, and loan assistance or local debt support. Grants are available for up to 90% of the total project costs for repair/replacement, and up to 50% for new expansion.
James Bowling, Superintendent of Engineering/Deputy Director said that the program was voted by the residents in the state of Ohio and is doing well. Every year, the township or county submit projects annually to the governing bodies of OPWC to get funding and help get the infrastructure projects done.
“This is a state program that funds public works or infrastructure,” Bowling said. “Its purpose is to help improve the infrastructure in the state. And it is specifically focused on repairing or rehabilitating replacing, not building new infrastructure.”
Loans can cover 100% of the project costs. Grant/loan combinations are also available by the program. There is no minimum or maximum amount of loans with a term of one to thirty years, not outstand the useful life of the project. There is no interest rate. Once the project finalizes a final amortization schedule is given requiring payments at the beginning of the (January) and July until the term of the loan ends. Loans may be paid in full of no prepayment penalty.
Bowling said that this year, the city of Kent submitted two projects for consideration by OPWC. The first one was the clarifier Rehabilitation at the Water Reclamation Facility and the other was a waterline improvement project in a residential neighborhood, in the Northwest part of town. It includes construction of approximately a half mile on residential streets.
“All residents of Ohio are benefiting from the program,” Bowling said. “The program for this project specifically will help everybody’s sewage in the city of Kent and in the surrounding areas. So, they’re all getting a benefit from this treatment plan. Anyone who uses the cattle river is getting a benefit from it.
Bowling said the even the environment will benefit from this project because it cleans it up.
The committee approved on the two projects. The total cost will be around $1,000000. The requested amount is $245,00 in grant funds and $150,000 in no interest loans from the OPWC. The total funding for this project is included in the approves 2019 Capital Improvement Plan.
