Bartholomew County has crossed another hurdle to address flooding and standing water concerns in the Armuth Acres and Northcliff subdivisions.
The Bartholomew County Commissioners announced Monday they have been awarded a $34,650 planning grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA).
The financial award will fund a study to determine why nearly half of about 102 homes northwest of Clifford sustain flood damage or standing water during long and heavy periods of rain.
Earlier this year, one resident told the commissioners her family was facing $28,000 in damages, while another said he had paid about $16,000 for flooding repairs.
Monday’s announcement of the award came two months after the commissioners agreed to seek money through a federal Community Development Block Grant program.
When residents first approached the county for help in 2002, a number of Armuth Acres and Northcliff residents backed away after being informed each of them might have to pay more than $5,000 to fix the flooding problems.
But it was discovered the project was eligible for grants after a survey revealed 52.8% of affected families qualify as low-to-moderate income, according to financial consultant Trena Carter of Administrative Resources Association (ARa).
Immediately after announcing the grant was awarded, the commissioners wasted no time Monday in awarding related contracts. Strand and Associates, an engineering and consulting firm, was chosen earlier this year from three competing firms to do the actual survey. On Monday, the commissioners awarded Strand a $35,000 contract.
After agreeing to contribute $3,850 from their own budget, the commissioners also approved a contract to pay the Administrative Resources Association $3,500 to administer the grant.
The law requires that a certified grant administration firm such as the association be hired to ensure that all parties remain in compliance with state and federal regulations tied to the financial award, Carter said.
Although the grant is a positive step towards finding a solution, no money has yet been awarded to actually address water problems.
Under the terms of the grant, Strand and Associates must complete their initial draft of their plan and submit it to OCRA no later than March 21, 2021, Carter said.
If both state and county officials agree on the validity of Strand’s plan, Bartholomew County will be qualified to request more Community Development Block grants of up to $500,000, she said.
Current estimates indicate it would cost about a million dollars to fix the problem, county commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.
Now that contracts have been approved, the next step will be for affected residents to meet with engineers from Strand and Associates to discuss what all parties see as the issues that cause the flooding, Carter said.
But since a number of quarantine measures stemming from the COVID-19 crisis remain in effect, Carter admits it’s going to be tricky arranging the logistics of such a meeting.
However, she promised to keep all parties updated and seek their input as the study moves forward.
