The Rhea County Commission, in a special called meeting, started the process of applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help with food insecurity in Rhea County.
Beth Jones with the Southeast Tennessee Development District made a presentation to the Commission explaining the process in which the county will be helping the various agencies in Rhea County that distribute food in the county.
Ms. Jones said, “Only counties will be allowed to apply for these grants.
They are not for construction or to buy food with, but to expand existing storage and capabilities of storing more food such as freezers and refrigerators. This will supplement dollars to help food pantries to expand on how many they can help.”
She said that food banks and pantries much have a 501-3-c designation and fill out the necessary paperwork for the grant.
“We will help them dot their I’s and cross their T’s. Only thing the county will do is to be the middleman to distribute out the funds to the qualifying agencies,” said Ms. Jones.
She further said there will be a public hearing for all interested parties to attend to gather more information and to get the forms they need to sign up. It will be held at the Rhea County Annex on Dec. 20 just before the County Commission regular meeting in the commission room on the second floor of the building.
Officials said, “We don’t want to confuse anyone; we are also having a public hearing at 3:30 on another grant. But 4 p.m. will be for the food grant."
Ms. Jones said that each county can apply for up to $500,000 and there is no matching funds required for the grant. Each county can use up to six percent of the grant amount for administration purposes. She said Jan. 31 is the deadline for applying.
In other business the commission approved accepting a bid from H&L Construction from Cleveland, Tn., to work on improvements of the boat ramp off Highway 30 in Old Washington.
Chairman Jim Reed said the ramp was the site of the old ferry that was used to take cars across the river before the Highway 30 Bridge was constructed. “Over the years it has gone into disrepair and needs worked on,” said Chairman Reed. The bid was for companies to build a 50-foot concrete ramp and dredge work needed to make it easy for boats to be launched from the ramp.
Chairman Reed said that only two bids were received - the one from H&L Construction and the other from Bradley Varner Construction in the amount of $220,000. He said that both companies meet the insurance requirements and were both required to do the same work. On the vote, Commissioner Tommy Ballard voted no with all the other commissioners voting for it.
Commissioner Ballard said that the boat ramp at Frazier is in serious need of repair also. “When there is a fishing tournament going on you can’t find a parking space at Frazier," he said.
Commissioner Nick Welch said that the boat ramp at Garrison is in desperate need of repair as well. "But Old Washington is deep water, and this will give you year-round access to the water,” he said.
The Commission was questioned earlier in the meeting during public comments by Kris Bancroft as to where the money to fund the repairs to the boat ramp was coming from.
Chairman Reed said that all the money that is being used on this project is coming from the hotel/motel tax that the county gets.
“The only thing we can use this money for is tourism and recreation,” he said.
Commissioner Ballard also voted against the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department applying for Governor Bill Lee’s Violent Crime Intervention Fund Grant. The Sheriff’s Department is asking for $115,000 in funds and there is no matching funds required for the grant.
The grant is part of an initiative that Governor Lee put forward back in September. The state had worked out a formula advising each city and county how much money that they could apply for.
Governor Lee invited local law enforcement agencies to apply for public safety grants from a $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund.
As a cornerstone of Governor Lee’s Proven Crime Prevention agenda, the Violent Crime Intervention Fund was included in the state’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget to support local law enforcement’s work to reduce violent crime and strengthen public safety. Eligible uses of funding include evidence-based crime intervention models, hiring and training of specialized violent crime units, purchase and application of technology and equipment and law enforcement-led partnerships with community organizations to disrupt and prevent violent crime.
Local law enforcement agencies can apply for grant funding through January 2023. Grants will be awarded in a hybrid model via a formula, with additional access to a pool of supplemental funds available to agencies that enter into collaborations or regional partnerships.
In Rhea County, the formula shows the following agencies would be allowed to apply for up to a pre-determined amount. The Sheriff’s Department was allowed up to $115,000, Dayton Police Department $85,800, Graysville Police Department $70,242, and Spring City Police Department $71,354.
In closing comments, Vice Chairman Leo Stevens requested that the chairman call a special called meeting to consider a bonus to the employees of Rhea County government.
He said, "I would like to see about giving all the employees of the county a bonus. This would thank them for all the hard work that they do throughout the year for the county.”
Chairman Reed then announced that the County Commission will meet in a called meeting on Dec. 13 just after the normally scheduled agenda workshop meeting.
Click here to download the partnership agreement to apply for the food bank grant.