Parkside gets $400,000 USDA grant

The city of Wellman Tuesday announced it received an additional $400,000 in grant funds from the USDA Rural Development agency to aid in the completion of the Parkside Activities Center and Sunrise Child Care facility.

“These grant funds are money that will not have to be repaid.”

“This is great,” said City Administrator Dave Ross, “since it’s money needed to finish off the facility and money we would not have without their assistance. These grant funds are money that will not have to be repaid.”
The grant is the result of several months effort by the city and the Wellman Area Foundation to raise the last $799,000 for the project. The remainder will be provided in a low interest loan from the USDA. A public hearing will be held on the loan issue.
Ross added that the Wellman Area Foundation “is continuing fundraising efforts so the loan will be repaid as soon as possible.”
The loan is a USDA requirement before any grant funds may be used. The $399,000 will go against the city’s debt limit and unless the Foundation can provide for repayment, will come from the Local Option Sales Tax, TIF or future Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) funds.
“Those funds are very tight right now,” said Ross, “and the city would like to see those monies go to rebuilding city infrastructure.”
Ross said that the decision to proceed with Parkside was heavily influenced by the fact “if we didn’t award the bid last year, we stood a good chance of losing several million in grant funds committed at the time.” And, the loss of the funds would have ended the project that had been sought for more than 20 years.
He indicated that there are people “considering” donations to raise the rest of the money.
Wellman voters, in a 49 percent turnout, approved a $1 million city allocation to Parkside in April, 2008, by an 88 percent margin, believed to be the highest approval margin in county history.