Lindsay in hunt for more than $500,000 in grant money

LINDSAY — The city of Lindsay is seeking more than half a million dollars in grant money for two water projects.

Director of City Services Mike Camarena updated the City Council on the process at Tuesday’s meeting. A mid-year budget report was also part of the first meeting of 2013 for the newly-seated council.

Lindsay is a member of the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District and along with Visalia and Farmersville, is in the process of submitting applications to cover four projects for a total of $2.2 million. Lindsay’s submission includes improving the water quality from Well 15 at a cost of $395,000 and a storm drain project for Orange Avenue for $283,000.

According to Camarena, there is a possibility Farmersville’s project could be removed from the list. If that happens the application value would drop to $1,678,500.

“Of those four projects the city of Farmersville is the weakest one on the list,” said Camarena.

Well 15, which is used on occasion, impacts customers on Avenue 240. The well has experienced intermittent positive bacterial results in the past five years. In May 2009, the city was ordered by the California Department of Public Health to issue a “Boil Water Advisory.” The advisory has since been reduced to only right around the well.

The state Public Health Department recommended adding to the discharge pipe of the well and adding chlorine analyzing equipment, which Lindsay’s application would take care of if granted.

The Orange Avenue project would potentially open up Harvard Park to full use. The city maintains four storm drainage basins and during late December 2010 and early 2011, two of the four were impacted — Sequoia and Harvard.

There are costs associated with the application. The city would also have to pay an additional $12,000 for the final preparation of the project, $6,000 for each project which would come from the water and sewer funds, Camarena said.

A final cost for the application would be $30,000. Each of the cities on the application would be responsible for a portion of the final cost. Camarena said he wouldn’t know Lindsay’s share for another month and also said Visalia may sweeten the deal by paying a large portion of the $30,000.

The application is due March 29 and the notice of awarded applications will be released in October.

If the application is not approved, funding for Well 15 will be pursued through the State of California Safe Drinking Water State Revolving funding process and Orange Avenue could be funded through sewer enterprise funds.

A mid-year budget report was also presented by Tamara Laken, the finance director.

“It’s not intended to be an in-depth report,” said Laken. “It gives you a snapshot, right away of where we’re spending the money and were the money is coming in from.”

According to the report, from July to December 2012 the city had spent nearly $500,000 more than it had taken in — revenue summary of $7,249,758 with an expenditure amount of $7,752,046.

A more extensive budget report will be given at next city council meeting, Laken said. The next meeting is Jan. 22.

In staff reports City Manager Rich Wilkinson gave an update on the Friday Night Market at the McDermont Field House, the Wellness Center and a grant that will allow the city to place an extra officer on the street.

Wilkinson said that the market is growing, the Wellness Center is completely booked every weekend in February and progress continues at the City Park.

“We have until the end of March to get it done, but I hope to get it done much sooner,” said Wilkinson of the park.

The city was awarded the Cops Reinvestment Grant in 2012 but had not been able to take advantage of it. It pays 75 percent of the officer’s salary for three years. They have received three applications and were anticipating beginning the interviewing process soon.                                                         

In other business, the council:

- Amended the contract for the Patriots Extracurricular Sports and Recreation Programs.

- Approved the Sierra View Extension project as complete.

- Approved new council committee appointments.