County, cities qualify for state project funding

By Janet Jacobs

Seventeen cities in Navarro County, as well as the county itself, have qualified for federal grants being distributed by the Texas Comptroller’s office to help with energy conservation and efficiency. The two largest potential grants would go to the county, which qualified for $100,000, and Corsicana, which qualified for $75,000. However, towns as small as Mustang and Angus, Emhouse and Eureka also each qualified for $20,000.

How much a city could get depends on how many people live there, according to the comptroller’s office.

In Corsicana, the city is preparing a list of potential projects, including replacing the lights in traffic signals with LED lights, putting energy-saving coatings on the roofs of the library and Northrop Grumman buildings, and installing solar panels on school crossing signals, said City Manager Connie Standridge.

“We’re looking at a lot of projects city-wide, and really haven’t decided what to do yet,” Standridge said.

Replacing the traffic signal bulbs could save the city 70 percent on the cost of running street lights, but putting energy coatings on the roofs could result in significant savings on air conditioning and heating bills, Standridge explained.

Navarro County qualifies for $100,000 and definitely intends to seek the money, said County Judge H.M. Davenport.

“There’s all kinds of stuff we could do with it, including water heater technology for the jail, or solar energy for the jail,” he said. “Those are just two of the things we’re looking at.”

Because of the courthouse’s protected historic nature, the county can’t change too much on the outside of the building, and changing out the invisible systems might not be wise, since the county is seeking a restoration grant for the courthouse, he said.

“There’s also solar energy electrical generation where it will cut back our electricity bill, or we can put it back into the grid,” he said. “We can’t put (solar panels) on the courthouse, but the jail is not historic, so the most likely place to install that would be over there.”

Some of the smaller cities were later in getting their notifications, but those with any significant infrastructures were interested in the possibilities that an additional $20,000 could offer.

“I do believe we will apply for it,” said Beth Nemeth, Blooming Grove city secretary. “One item we’d possibly use it for would be street lights. Being a small town, we spend a lot on street lights. If we could get us better ones, that would save us a lot of money.”

The Blooming Grove city council will discuss the issue Monday night at its regular council meeting, she added.

Kerens will also be applying for the grant, although the council hasn’t decided what to spend the money on just yet, said Cindy Scott, city secretary.

“We do have a couple of projects we think will work, that the state will accept,” Scott said. “One is an energy audit, and the other things are a change in the air conditioning unit out here at city hall because it’s old. Also, at the water treatment plant we have some older pumps. Those are the two main projects we’re hoping will qualify.”

“Air conditioning units have evolved over the last few years, and that’s one of the main things they’re pushing,” Scott said. “Because we’re wasting electricity and wasting power running these old units.”

Rice is also likely to seek the money, said Tonya Roberts, city secretary.

“I know there are limited things you can spend it on,” she said. “I mentioned to the mayor window and hv/ac upgrades, but that’s not finalized yet. The council will meet on it and decide together.”

The state has set aside $45.6 million for cities with fewer than 35,000 people, and counties with fewer than 200,000 people. Larger cities and counties will split $163 million. Nationally, the federal government has allocated $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and conservation grants under the stimulus plan.

Although the money has been set aside for the designated cities, they must still apply and state where the money will be spent, and the project must contribute to energy efficiency or conservation. Cities that don’t apply for the money within about 45 days will lose the opportunity, and the money will be offered to other communities, according to the comptroller’s Web site.

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