Gage County holding outreach meetings, on grant support for bridges, roads
Gage County seeking federal funding to aid completion of needed bridge and road projects
By News Channel Nebraska
BEATRICE – A Gage County Board member who has been working toward federal grant support for several bridge and road projects, is hoping citizens will weigh in with their support.
A series of public outreach meetings is getting underway, with the first one Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m., at the Blue Springs City Hall.
County supervisor Emily Haxby has been working on at least two federal grant sources, and potentially a third, through a Nebraska Congressman’s office. She said the grants being sought would be for bridges east of DeWitt, the Clatonia and Buss Bridges and the Blue Springs Bridge....the DeWitt to Clatonia Road and additional paving on West Hickory Road.
Other outreach meetings will be held November 20th at Tri-County Public Schools….November 29th at the DeWitt Community Center….November 30th at the Clatonia Community Center….and December 5th at the Pickrell Community Center.
The meetings all begin at 6:30 p.m. and are for Gage County residents and those from surrounding counties who travel various bridges and roads. At the outreach meetings, Haxby says persons attending will be encouraged to complete a survey. "Make it to one, make it to two...bring your neighbor, we need the numbers for people to show up and take that survey and have input. And then, if anybody would be willing to, at the end, to write a support letter while you're there."
Haxby, in addition to her supervisor duties, has taken on the role of a grant-writer for the county when it comes to getting federal transportation support.
Many of the projects are those for which there’s been public support. Officials say by tapping outside sources of funding….it could also limit the impact on local property taxes. Haxby says the grant programs propose 80-percent federal support, with a 20-percent local share.
The grant possibility through congressional office pertain to possible resurfacing of a road from Odell to the south…..and the Christ Lutheran Road in Gage County.