City of Glenwood Receives Multiple Grants for Improvement Projects

“It has been a busy week,” Mayor G.M. Joiner said as he called the September 1 Glenwood City Council meeting to order. The month of August saw a number of grants and projects carried out around the city. The completion of one project, the paving of N. Seventh Street, has been three years in the making. The street was a dirt road before the paving project completion, and the project was completed using a Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG). LMIG funds come from the Georgia Department of Transportation and require a 10% match from the city. According to Mayor Joiner, because Glenwood receives limited LMIG funds, it takes a few years to build up enough money to fund a large project. “We have to do things one block at a time,” Joiner stated. This project used LMIG funds from FY 2018, 2019, and 2020. The city was also able to replace a number of aged culverts and pipes using remaining LMIG funds.

The city also applied for and received a grant through the CARES Act passed by Congress in March. The $34,078 grant was among those made available to municipalities and local governments in order to cover expenses associated with the COVID-19 crisis. The city used part of this grant to buy a second city vehicle. The newly- acquired pickup truck will be used by city employees to “social distance” as they carry out their jobs around the city, Joiner explained. According to the CDC, exposure to COVID-19 occurs when an individual is within six-feet of an infected person for 15 minutes or more. This suggested safe-distance is difficult to maintain within a vehicle’s cab. The city also purchased Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for city employees to use when they interact with the general public, as well as hand sanitizing stations and soap dispensers for city buildings.

Street Supervisor and Certified Safety Coordinator Brian O’Quinn also provided information concerning the yearly GIRMA (Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency) Grant that the city received in August. The city was awarded $3,277.16 through the Safety and Liability Grant, which can be applied for each year to help increase workplace safety and reduce liability.

The city is a member of GMA (Georgia Municipal Association) which provides property, workers compensation, and vehicle insurance through GIRMA. The city can get a percentage of its premium back each year that it does not file a claim by applying for the Safety and Liability Grant. The grant is used to cover the cost of any item that will reduce the possibility of injury or liability in the workplace.

This year, the city was able to replace the light bar on Glenwood Engine 2 with a new LED light bar. This will improve the truck’s visibility while traveling to or while on the scene of an emergency, therefore reducing liability. The city was also able to purchase more traffic control devices to more effectively warn motorists when they are approaching a work zone, keeping city workers safer during road work. Altogether, the city purchased one light bar, 15 traffic drums, four “road closed” signs, two “road work ahead” signs, 21 traffic cones, two rolls of caution tape, and a fluorescent yellow jacket for each employee.

The last grant that the city applied for and received was a Fireworks Tax Grant through the GFSTC (Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council). Because this is a matching grant, the Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department was responsible for paying 10% of the grant funds received. The Glenwood Fire Department was in need of new SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus), and through the grant was able to purchase four MSA G1 air packs, eight air cylinders, five face pieces, eight batteries, and two charging stations for the batteries.

The city was awarded $22,393.00 from the Fireworks Tax Grant. These funds, along with the $2,488.00 that the fire department paid out of pocket covered the $24,881 price tag of the new equipment.

Last, the city council discussed whether or not to approve the Christmas Parade in December and Halloween trick-or-treating at the end of October. According to City Clerk Brenda Cornett, a decision about the December Christmas Parade was critical so that invitations could be sent out to the normal parade participants. After some discussion, the Council voted to tentatively approve the Christmas parade for December 5, adding that anyone observing the parade could socially distance along the parade route.

The Council also discussed whether or not to formally approve trick-or-treating this year amid COVID-19 concerns. Ultimately, it was decided to table the decision until the October meeting in order to see how COVID-19 is impacting the community at that time. The next Council meeting will be held on October 6 at the Glenwood City Hall.