CROTHERSVILLE
In the past two years, Crothersville has received nearly $641,000 in state funding for paving projects.
Brad Bender with FPBH Inc. hopes he can help the town secure funding for the third year in a row through the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative.
The program opened Jan. 6 and closes Jan. 31. Since the Crothersville Town Council only meets once a month, he approached the board during its meeting Jan. 7 to receive approval to move forward with applying.
The council unanimously approved a motion to encumber the funds and President Danieta Foster to sign any needed paperwork.
Community Crossings was created by the General Assembly in 2016. Funds for the program are awarded from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund.
To qualify for funding, local governments must provide matching funds — 50% for larger communities or 25% for smaller communities — from a funding source approved for road and bridge construction. They also must submit an INDOT-approved asset management plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges.
State law requires 50% of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. That would include Crothersville.
State lawmakers identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb in April 2017.
In 2018, Crothersville completed 14 paving projects after receiving $423,406.10 in Community Crossings funding. In 2019, the town completed 10 projects with the $217,480.80 it received.
“It has been a great program,” Bender told the council. “It started out they said it would be a five-year program, but now, it sounds like it will keep going. We recommend you take advantage of it.”
One of the 2019 projects completed was Industrial Way.
“It would take your entire budget for two or three years to do that road yourselves,” Bender said.
Trena Carter with Administrative Resources association said the program allows the town to get 75 cents on each dollar.
“Prior to them having these grants, we were spending about $70,000 a year,” Foster said. “Now, we’re spending approximately the same amount, but we’re getting $275,000 worth done.”
Bender recently met with Foster, Sewer Superintendent Mason Boicourt and Street Superintendent Mike Deaton to establish a list of projects to complete if the town is fortunate to receive funding.
The projects include:
Main Street Circle
Main Street from 480 feet east of Preston Street to Main Street Circle
Walnut Street from Preston Street to 700 feet east
Bard Street from U.S. 31 to Seymour Road
Walnut Street from U.S 31 to Seymour Road
Vine Street from the terminus to Walnut Street
Central Avenue from the terminus to Moore Street
Cindy Lane from U.S. 31 to 80 feet west of Seymour Road
The eight projects total $275,065.
“Originally, it was 12 projects that could have been as much as a half-million dollars,” Bender said. “Your budget for you guys to spend is $68,000. It has been established. That means you can go up to $272,000. What we put together is $275,000. I think that’s well within reason. This is what we can submit to the state and ask for. It keeps you within your budget.”
Starting in 2019, the Indiana Department of Transportation offered two calls for projects. Applications now are accepted in January and July each year. Communities, however, can only apply for up to $1 million once per year.
Since Community Crossings was established, more than $612 million in state matching funds has been awarded for road construction projects.