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Commissioners approve REAP Grant for Union City road

Road in Union City slated to be funded.

Commissioners David Anderson and Jack Stewart, along with Lacey Dawson, discuss the REAP grant at the weekly Commissioners meeting.

By Jacob Sturm

news@mustangpaper.com

A contract related to a regrant Canadian County received proved to be the most significant decision Commissioners David Anderson and Jack Stewart, along with Lacey Dawson, at the weekly commissioners meeting in El Reno.

Commissioners approved of the Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Grant for base stabilization and double chip sealing of road surfaces along Alfadale and SH-152 going south in Union City, which is located in Anderson’s district.

REAP is a grant opportunity the state gives Counties through the council of governments. Usually, cities are the participants in ACOG, but counties can apply for the REAP Grants each year.

The grant the county can receive used to only be $50,000 or $100,000. Anderson indicated the cap had been removed, even though he said the chances of getting more than $100,000 goes down. Monday’s approved action is the contract for the funds going to the Union City road.

“We got a $100,000 grant to chip seal and stabilize a mile of road in Union City,” Anderson said.

Once a year, the county applies for the grant. They are not always awarded the money, but the chances of receiving the funds the following year go up every year the county does not get the funds.

“It’s intended to improve the economic potential in the rural area,” Anderson said.

Contracts come out at a time of the year where the commissioners chip sealing season is winding down. Typically, when the paperwork goes through the process, commissioners will have to wait on projects. Occasionally, that means projects aren’t completed until the following summer.

Stewart said ACOG will not let the commissioners know if they got the grant until January.

“I’ll take $50,000 or $100,000 any day of the week, but in the grand scope and scheme of things, they’re not very significant grants,” Anderson said.

The gravel road the grant covers is inside Union City limits, and with the town’s size, Canadian County takes care of its roads. Anderson confirmed as much, saying the grants he applies for through REAP have been for Union City.

With the funding being approved, the process of bettering a road is one step closer to happening. That’s never a bad thing.

 

 

 

 

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