The full Warren County Commission has approved applying for a grant of up to $250,000 to be used for building upgrades.
According to County Executive Herschel Wells, the grant is a 50-50 match up to $250,000 and will be used to address roofing and lighting issues at Warren County Administrative Offices, Warren County Courthouse, and Warren County Jail.
“At the courthouse, hopefully, this would be for a flat roof,” said Wells. “We would be getting 50 percent from the grant for the work and we would have to pay 50 percent, but that beats us having to pay the full amount. Hopefully, we can get this. The flat roof has been on there 20 years. It’s needing a new roof. Hopefully, we can get some lighting out of it too.”
A resolution to go after the grant passed 22-0. Absent from the meeting were Commissioners Melissa Yancy and Gary Prater.
The thinking is to tackle the courthouse roof first, then address other buildings if money is still available.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation offers the grant as part of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program and funds provide financial assistance to municipal governments, county governments, utility districts, and other entities created by statute in Tennessee to purchase, install, and construct energy projects that fit into grant eligibility guidelines for improved efficiency.
It will be later in the year before TDEC makes its awards announcement for the 2015-16 grant period. The county will know in the summer if it has made the final round for grant consideration.