A federal grant is being sought to reduce flooding and power disruptions near Clifty Park, as well as at Columbus East High School.
The Bartholomew County commissioners agreed to submit a pre-application for a $130,650 grant Monday. Specifically, they are seeking a ‘Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities’ (BRIC) grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A significant part of the local proposal is to obtain a powerful backup generator for Clifty Park’s lift station. These stations are used to move wastewater from a lower to a higher elevation, particularly where the elevation of the source is not sufficient for gravity flow.
The three commissioners agreed to begin submitting paperwork for the grant. However, it will be the city of Columbus that will provide the $43,550 in matching funds if the application is accepted.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop has already expressed his support for the grant and the proposal, commissioners Chairman Larry Kleinhenz said.
When substantial flooding occurs at Clifty Park, it impacts three separate systems, Bartholomew County Emergency Management Deputy Director Natalie Ferrenburg told the commissioners Monday.
First, it shuts down the lift station, so the sewage water cannot proceed any further toward a wastewater treatment plant.
The second problem is that some utility lines and a transformer located in Clifty Park are below the flood level.
“The last time that we had so much damage, they had to turn a transformer off because it was below flood level,” Kleinhenz said. “They shut it down as an emergency procedure. That immediately shuts down the lift station, which really effects everything.”
That last time was on June 19, when a flash flood resulted in sewage water being backed up into the high school because flaps or valves were unable to prevent the backup after the electricity was cut off. It cost at least $400,000 to replace the auxiliary and main gym floors At East. Part of the recently renovated Robbins Auditorium also sustained flood damage.
At this time, a mobile generator is moved into the park if government officials know flood waters are approaching, Ferrenburg said. But by its very nature, flash-flooding occurs quickly and without warning.
If the $174,200 project is approved, local officials have agreed to work with Duke Energy to install new transformers and a fuse cabinet above the flood level in Clifty Park, according to the grant application.
Flooding has caused multiple problems, including power outages, in nearby Steinhurst Manor and the Wehmeier Addition, Kleinhenz said. But the proposed improvements should also help alleviate these problems for residents in both neighborhoods, he said.
It’s not known when the recipients of these FEMA grants will be awarded. Final applications are not due until the end of January, 2022, and the program’s website does not indicate when winning applicants will be announced.
