LAPEL — Lapel did not succeed the first time it tried to obtain state funds to improve town water, so it’s going to follow the old adage and try again.
The town is reapplying for a grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, to help pay for improvements to the town water system.
Lapel Town Council, Kleinpeter Consulting Group LLC, and RQAW, an engineering and architecture firm, met in a public hearing prior to the April 18 council meeting to begin plans to resubmit the application.
Under the grant scoring method, Lapel received 481 of 700 possible points in its first try to secure $600,000 to help take care of asbestos and well house problems. Scores of 450 and above are eligible for grants. But awards are made on a priority basis by score, and during the last grant cycle funding ran out before reaching Lapel’s application.
If approved this time, the town will contribute an additional $160,000 for improvements, for a total project cost of $760,000.
From the town’s contribution, $54,000 will come from the water operating fund, $53,000 from the water improvement fund and $53,000 from the water improvement savings fund.
Repairs are for the Ford Street Well House renovation; rehabilitation for an elevated storage tank northeast side of town, which has silt build up and rust problems; and replacement of some known location of asbestos cement mains.
“I’ve heard a lot of comments from the town about brown water issues. It seems like it’s a pretty significant headache,” said Aaron Crow, a representative of RQAW, when asked about the condition of the town’s water.
“Improving our water quality should be our town’s No. 1 priority at this time,” town council member Jason Kleinbub said.
Mike Kleinpeter, a certified grant administrator from Kleinpeter Consulting Group, LLC, said the proposal is due May 3.
OCRA will follow up with a site visit, and a required second public hearing is scheduled for May 16.
The application is due June 28. Award announcements are set for Aug. 15.
Kleinpeter encouraged residents to let the town know of water problems. He recommended dropping off accounts or photos of problems with brown water, rusty water filters or other issues at town hall by May 15.
Residents accounts of their problems helps increase the applications overall score and increases chances of receiving the grant.
Town council President Deb Wainscott said town council assistant Paula Lee has created a data base “so that if you call in, she will put your name, address and complaint down on record. You have to have voices from the community to show why you are really wanting to do this.
“A lot of people might think it won’t make any difference if they write a letter or not, but it does. It helps show we actually have a problem in town with the water.”
Kleinpeter added, “The proposal will give OCRA an opportunity to learn more about our project. It has our scope of work, our budget. It basically gives the scoring committee and OCRA a chance to see what the project is and make sure it meets all the eligibility requirements.
“It’s also a chance for OCRA to provide feedback to us on things we can do to strengthen our application.”