The West Warren-Viola Utility District recently received a federal Community Development Block Grant for $500,000 in cooperation with Warren County government and the Upper Cumberland Development District.
The funds, which come from HUD, will be used as part of an estimated $3.7 million project which will include construction of a 1 million-gallon holding tank to guarantee adequate water supply to the new Morrison School and future expansion at Mountain View Industrial Park.
The grant application was written by UCDD and administered through the state. It is a matching grant with West Warren-Viola providing the matching funds so there will be no cost to  taxpayers. The utility petitioned the county to use its eligibility in obtaining the grant.
Officials say Rural Development, along with other lending sources, will then provide the balance of the funding needed for the entire $3.7 million project, and West Warren-Viola will assume the debt for that. The project will include a 12-inch water line to connect with the storage tank and to bolster the infrastructure in the western portion of the utility district.
State, county and West Warren-Viola Utility District officials met Monday at the district office in Morrison for the presentation of the grant.
Ashley Pealer of UCDD said it took much cooperation between officials and entities involved to get the grant.
“We wrote the grant back in February,” Pealer said. “We were awarded $500,000. It was very competitive. We were competing statewide so we’re just very honored Warren County was provided this grant to make this project happen.”
Anthony Pelham of James C. Hailey & Co. explained how the funds would be used.
“There are multiple contracts but this money will go directly to a water tank construction project,” he said. “We’re looking at building a 1 million-gallon, if not larger, storage tank just beyond the western border of Warren County to serve the western portion of the West Warren-Viola Utility District.”
Utility district manager Tim Pelham said the project will help improve the infrastructure in that portion of the county.
“There was a need with the new school, with industry in the industrial park, and future needs for industry, to have additional water reserves,” Tim said. “This will provide for future growth and fire protection in the area and hopefully help the county to be in a better position to entice businesses and industry into the park.”
County Executive John Pelham said he is pleased to have been a part of more than one CDBG to improve infrastructure in the county with the help of Wendy Askins and UCDD and the work of county commissioners.
“Our first eligibility when I came into office was on the CDBG application the development district applied for with Warren County Utility District for the Harrison Ferry water project,” John said. “For our eligibility to be renewed, we had to complete that project.”
John lauded Pealer and Askins for their grant-writing skills.
“Their grant writers are second to none,” John said. “They do a tremendous job, and with the help Anthony gave, we felt good about our application, but until it’s announced, you never know. There’s a lot of other counties competing for those dollars.”
State Rep. Judd Matheny agreed.
“The competition for dollars is so fierce,” Matheny said. “There’s almost no new money.”