Investment to Assist Communities located in Green Lake, Monroe, Richland, Sauk & Vernon Counties
STEVENS POINT, Wis., Oct. 13, 2020 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wisconsin Rural Development State Director Frank Frassetto announced that the USDA is investing $604,000 to improve public safety and maintenance equipment and community buildings.
“These investments will allow these rural communities provide safe, modern equipment and supplies to service and meet the needs in their residents,” Frassetto said. “Through our Community Facilities programs, USDA Rural Development partners with communities to maximize the affordability of their infrastructure needs. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, we have been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural Wisconsin in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
The City of Princeton received a $50,000 grant to purchase shelving, fixtures and furniture for the library addition. The City is renovating the existing library and adding an additional 3,140 square feet. The existing building was built in 1985 and is in good condition however the need for a larger facility is evident by an increase of 3,000 attendees in the past 5 years.
The Village of Kendall received a $82,500 grant to purchase a garbage truck to replace an old, unrepairable truck. The 1996 garbage truck has several mechanical issues that will cost more to repair than the truck is worth. The Village plans to purchase a garbage truck to continue providing reliable curbside garbage pick-up to the approximately 198 households.
The Town of Sterling received a $88,000 grant to purchase two pieces of maintenance equipment. First, a new front-end loader is needed for loading salt and clearing roads in the winter while cleaning culverts and ditches in the summer. Second, a new truck is needed for road and general town maintenance in the summer and plowing in the winter. Both pieces will replace old equipment that need expensive repairs. The town suffered extensive flood damage to their road system which required its budget to make road repairs instead of equipment replacement.
The Village of Rock Springs received a $250,000 grant to relocate the community center and municipal building. Due to community-wide flooding in August of 2018 and again in 2019, the village is planning to relocate these buildings to a location that would be out of the flood area. This project would include construction of a municipal building that will include a library, community center, village hall, fire station and village public works shop.
The Village of De Soto received a $34,000 grant to purchase a skid steer. The current skid steer is reaching the end of its useful life and is requiring more maintenance and repair, including replacement of hydraulic lines, new tires and re-welding of rusted parts. This equipment is used for snow removal, landscaping projects, sewer maintenance and extensive flood mitigation including debris removal and clean-up. The Village wants to replace the existing equipment with a similar unit that would have tracks instead of tires as tracks are more conducive to working in muddy and soft soils. Accessories for the new unit would include a regular bucket, a snow bucket and a grappling hook.
The Village of Viola received $100,000 to purchase equipment for the water and sewer department, public works department and Police Department.
- The 2008 utility truck has major steering issues making it unsafe to drive.
- The village's dump truck is 19 years old, rusted, has major transmission issues and the mower with snowblower is in need of constant repair. The village oversees the mowing of all the green space created when homes are demolished due to severe flooding. An additional 17 properties will be added soon to their workload. The village will be purchasing a truck and Bobcat with angle broom that can be used for snow removal and other maintenance/clean-up issues. The truck will also be used to haul patch for street repairs, cemetery fill, snow removal and basic transportation for the public works department.
- The Police Department needs a repeater for the squad car, which is needed to help the officer use his radio to call for help when he is outside of the car, such as in domestic disturbances. They also plan to purchase and install cameras and a repeater to mount in areas of suspected drug sales and to monitor downtown where they have had burglary issues.
Today’s announcement includes funding from the Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program and the $150 million in grants included in the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act that President Trump signed into law on June 6, 2019.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in eligible rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are exhausted.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/wi, call us at 715-345-7600 or email wi-rd-stateoffice@usda.gov.
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