Municipalities in Summit County hold public hearings every year about the Community Development Block Grant for small cities. The grants are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development.
Public agencies can get money for roads, water, sewer, fire and other projects that benefit citizens. But residents rarely attend hearings to suggest projects for local public servants to focus on.
The Summit County Council held its hearing Dec. 11.
“We want to provide the citizens with pertinent information about the applications,” Annette Singleton, the county manager’s executive assistant, told the council. “Anybody that is eligible to apply will need to do so by Jan. 15 … and I'm happy to help anybody that wants to apply.”
Summit County Manager Shayne Scott recommends anyone who missed the hearing to make suggestions by reaching out to him or Singleton directly. Nonprofits and individuals are not eligible to apply.
Singleton said some applications are already in the works.
One is from Wanship Mutual Water Company, a local water provider with about 80 connections, mostly north of Interstate 80.
“They wanted to replace the water meters, and then possible funding in the future for other phases,” Singleton said.
She added that programs that support seniors generally have a good shot at getting funding because they are on fixed incomes. Utah prioritizes projects benefiting low- and medium-income residents.
Singleton said there’s about $623,000 to go around for both Summit and Wasatch counties.
