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Ravalli County Commissioners back $482,000 grant for business park

January 8, 2003 /

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The MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program encourages and supports the participation of companies owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in transportation contracts.

Commissioners voted Tuesday to submit a $482,000 grant application to the state on behalf of the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority for extending water and sewer lines to the proposed 26-acre business park near the airport.

By KODI HIRST Ravalli Republic Staff Reporter

"It’s a worthwhile project," said Commissioner Alan Thompson. "I would like to see it move forward."

The Community Development Block Grant uses appropriations from the federal Office of Housing and Urban Development and is administered by the Montana Department of Commerce. The state agency grants those dollars to Montana cities and counties for projects that will benefit the community. Block grants may be awarded for economic development, public facilities or housing, and projects must have potential to benefit low- or moderate-income residents.

The grant will only fund about half of the $1 million project, said Betty Davis the authority’s director.

Davis said the additional costs will be covered by a federal $500,000 EDA grant that the county is applying for on behalf of the local economic development authority. Davis said the federal grant must be matched with non-federal funding, in this case the block grant administered through the state.

Montana has $3.5 million to allocate in public facilities funds through this particular grant program, though Ravalli County is eligible for up to $500,000, said Skip Rosenthal, administrative director for the county. Seven to 10 grants are funded statewide annually, he said.

"It’s a competitive process," Rosenthal said.

If the grant is approved, the infrastructure would be built by the city of Hamilton and could start as early as October 2003, Davis said.

"It would ideal if we could do that," Davis said. "However there are a lot of factors dealing with that."

Businesses have shown interest in building in the business park, but were turned away because the infrastructure wasn’t in place, Davis said.

"Until we get the water and sewer, we are not able to move toward any construction out there at all," Davis said.

Reporter Kodi Hirst can be reached at 363-3300.

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