Aldermen updated on grants

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen received updates on several grants that the city has been looking into during their regular meeting April 13.

Interim City Administrator Phyllis Jeffers primarily raised concerns about a downtown revitalization grant for $440,000 that would bring sidewalk and lighting improvements to Kearney Street.

Jeffers said part of the documentation for the grant application is not in the files and also said the grant is a reimbursement grant – meaning the city spends the money and is then paid back by the state – with a 20 percent local match.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation has previously agreed to provide $50,000 for the match, but city officials must consider how to fund the remainder of the match as well as how to pay bills as they come in prior to the state’s providing reimbursement.

“I am making this my number one priority,” Jeffers said. “I’ve seen what this type of grant has done for other cities, and it’s very important that we get this grant.”

Jeffers said the grant won’t be awarded until this fall, so the city has time to visit with other cities to see how they have handled the funding issues.

Board members said they had not been made aware of the reimbursement nature of the grant but also expressed support for moving forward.

Another grant for sidewalk improvements near the public school had not been submitted, a grant for a new trash truck was not successful, and a third grant for energy efficient street lights has some timeline questions that need to be resolved.

The board also accepted a letter of resignation, with regret, from Municipal Judge Jimmy Johnson, who is retiring. Aldermen then met for an hour in closed session before appointing Justice of the Peace Connie Havens as a temporary replacement for Johnson.

In other city business, the board authorized a mid-year audit that Jeffers hopes will help streamline city operations and ultimately save money; renegotiated a contract with the Chamber of Commerce that now gives the Chamber $5,000 per quarter from the Motel Bed Tax fund; agreed to pay for radio advertising bills owed by the Chamber due to a contract that the city approved several years ago; and approved one resolution related to working with the probation department to help with city projects and a second resolution that allows volunteer firemen to serve on the board of aldermen.