Wartrace misses grant; work goes on

Although Wartrace didn't get the Community Block Development Grant for about $300,000 it applied for, the water line improvements will continue as planned.

"We actually applied for that for improvements to the springs," said Mayor Don Gallagher at the Monday night meeting of the board of mayor and aldermen.

Since the grant application was submitted, the town changed its plans and signed an agreement with the Tullahoma Utilities Board to supply its water instead. But to prepare the aging Wartrace system for the high-pressure water that will be coming down from TUB, improvements are having to be made along the lines. Expensive improvements.

"We were going to ask it (the CDBG grant) be reassigned for Haley and Lee roads," said Gallagher.

But even without the CDBG grant, there are funding options. By mid-January, the town should know how much it will be receiving from a rural development water emergency grant, which is capped at around $425,000.

"I think you'll fall comfortably under that," said Robert Stigall, president of Stigall Engineering Associates, a consulting firm out of Nashville that has been assisting Wartrace.

That grant, he said, will include the connection to the Tullahoma line, a new master meter vault and pit, 4,500 feet of 12-inch line, the connection at Wartrace, and the pressure reducing line.

While the 12-inch line to Dickel is a must, Stigall said, he thought improving the smaller lines to Haley Road and Lee Road could also fall under the same plan, and suggested the town bid those two roads out as alternates when they bid out the Dickel job. The bids will be issued with a 90-day decision window so that the town will know exactly what funds are available by the time the window closes.

Curl wins bid

The board approved one bid award Monday night. The winner of the Federal Lane bid was Curl Construction at $29,560.

An earlier job bid was awarded to Williamson Construction for work to be done down Cortner Road, but Gallagher said some concerns have been raised about the company's techniques.

"We were not aware they used dynamite," said Gallagher. "We want to protect our property owners."

Stigall said the blasting should be closely monitored by the company and the town should ask for details on that monitoring. He said that while the blasting wouldn't affect the water line work much, it could cause some property damage and suggested the town keep a close eye on the situation.