City Receives $500,000 Grant For Pine Street
It took more than a year — knocking on doors, making phone calls, collecting information.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.
On Friday, Bourbon Mayor Danny Skaggs could finally reveal what just a handful of people have known for the past six months: the city is the recipient of a $500,000 community development block grant to revitalize Pine Street.
Skaggs made the announcement in front of residents, business owners, city employees and officials from the Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Skaggs found out Bourbon received the grant in August, but was unable to announce it until the process had been formally finalized.
Skaggs said he struggled to contain the news all these months. The grant will completely overhaul the infrastructure of a street the city could never afford by itself.
Skaggs complimented employees at city hall for their efforts in getting the income surveys. “Beverly (Robb) went over to Lakewood, walked the whole thing, got a lot of people,” he said. “Darcy (Dunn) working the phones. Cathy (Bremer), same thing. She kept everything going with Kelly (Sink-Blair).”
Skaggs and Ward 1 Aldermen Dave Lafferty and Gene Kulaga each went out to get the surveys as well.
“We had several people involved in this,” he said. “They put in the time and did a great job.”
Now the really hard work begins.
City engineer Dick Rammstein estimated the project will take two years to complete. Sewer lines, water lines, gutters and curbs will be replaced.
Rammstein put together an engineering report last year that went along with the grant submission. He laid out how the project will likely unfold and made himself available to concerned business owners.
According to Rammstein’s report last year, the project will replace:
-240 linear feet of broken curb and gutter;
-360 linear feet of broken sidewalk;
-474 square yards of concrete driveway;
-Eight curb inlets;
-950 linear feet of sanitary sewer, 24 laterals and four manholes;
-1,367 linear feet of water line, eight valves and 24 service connections.
The pavement and sub-base will be removed. In its place will be an eight-inch base rock with a seven-inch asphaltic surface.