Seven years' effort pays off: Bell Buckle awarded water grant

Between old and overloaded pipelines, changing suppliers, and flooding, Bell Buckle has had several years of bad news when it comes to water. Last week, the town finally got some good news -- it has been awarded a $294,000 Community Development Block Grant to assist in infrastructure improvements. Specifically, the grant will be used to rehabilitate the existing water system.

"It's been a really great boost," said Alderwoman Jenny Hunt, who wrote the grant application. "We've been applying for CDBG grants for seven years and I was beginning to question if it was the right thing to do. It costs money to get the engineer's reports."

This time, however, the investment paid off, as did the seven years of experience and some careful research. In the past, the town applied for the grants to help with sewer improvements.

"I think we got smart and we looked at how the points really got applied and where our strengths were," said Hunt. "We did not have the competitive advantage with the sewer grant application."

But Bell Buckle did have that advantage with the water supply -- or disadvantage. The Bell Buckle water system experiences an annual water loss of 31 percent of all water purchased for distribution. This project will serve 2,076 people, of which 1,666, or 80.3 percent are low-to-moderate income -- all statistics the state looks at carefully when determining who gets what money.

A survey of the water system done a couple of years ago exposed serious deficiencies in the town's water supply, problems Bell Buckle has been combating ever since. That report helped Bell Buckle get the grant that will make the difference.

"There were four different things, like the Higgins Road water line and old meters that could be causing bad reads," said Hunt. "We'll be able to get a good start on the lines between Webb School and Nestledown. These were all projects listed as high priority on the water survey done two years ago."

The town has to match the CDBG grant with $57,000, money Hunt said was already budgeted for the project. But just because the grant is dedicated to improving the water infrastructure doesn't mean the town's sewer needs -- such as improvements in the often-flooded Webb basin -- will be ignored. The grant money will free up other funds dedicated to working on the water lines, said Hunt, and then they can be used to address the sewer problems.

Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber approved the grant.

The grant dollars were provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and were allocated under a procedure authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly. Hunt is looking at a Rural Development grant that could also help with the sewer issues.

"This CDBG grant will pave the way for continued economic progress in Bell Buckle," State Sen. Jim Tracy said. "I congratulate the community leaders for their work in securing the funds, and I look forward to seeing the fruit, including new jobs, of this valuable aid."

"Programs like CDBG make it possible for communities to strengthen their foundations, preparing them for economic growth and job creation they might not otherwise experience," State Rep. Pat Marsh said. "We understand the significance of this grant to Bell Buckle, and we are grateful for it."

The grant was approved following an application by the Town of Bell Buckle and has the support of Mayor Dennis Webb, Tracy and Marsh. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and U.S. Rep/ Bart Gordon aided in securing the funds.

Allocation of CDBG funds is based on priorities set at local levels where community needs are best known. The CDBG program is administered in Tennessee by the Department of Economic and Community Development.