×

Council asked to refuse 2 River Trail grants after not getting a third

Following the announcement earlier this week that Marietta would not receive a requested $871,166 Alternative Transportation Grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation for the next phase of the city’s River Trail project, members of city council’s finance committee were asked Thursday to refuse two other grants worth a total $375,000.

“Without the Alternative Transportation funds we won’t be able to use the Clean Ohio Trails Fund and Recreational Trails Fund grants for which we have already been approved,” said city development director Andy Coleman.

The Clean Ohio grant was for $250,000, and the Recreational Trails grant $125,000, he said.

“We scored high for both grants, but can’t use them without the other state funding,” Coleman said, recommending that the city should send a letter to the granting agency, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, thanking them for considering the city for the 2014 grant funding.

He said the letter would ask that the city’s applications for the grant funds be withdrawn and placed in the next round of grant funding for 2015.

“It would probably be a good idea to also develop a council resolution indicating the request that the grant applications be withdrawn,” said city law director Paul Bertram III.

Coleman said notifying ODNR that the grants would not be needed in 2014 would show a good faith effort by the city and could help when requesting future grant funding.

The grant monies would have gone toward the next extension of the River Trail from the intersection of Jefferson and East Eighth streets, across Duck Creek to Cogswell Lane in the Walmart complex.

In other business Thursday, Coleman said the city has to spend down any Community Development Block Grant funding approved from previous years before council can apply for the 2014 entitlement.

“Any outstanding projects should be completed by Nov. 1, or we lose that remaining funding,” Coleman said.

One of those projects, for Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms to be installed as part of the renovation of the former Colony Theatre (now Peoples Bank Theatre), has a total of $53,000 in CDBG monies outstanding that has to be spent by the Nov. 1 deadline.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today