Thursday, June 4, 2009

City gives ok to apply for EDA funds

At the June 2 regular meeting of the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners, city officials gave approval to Bruce Ballister, Economic Development Planner with the Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) to apply for a series of grants to develop the Scipio Creek Boat Basin.

Ballister will apply for $3 million dollars through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop Scipio Creek also known as the millpond into a viable facility that will retain existing seafood related jobs and create additional employment opportunities for residents of the city.

Several years ago, members of the community led by Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anita Grove and local seafood distributor Steve Rash formed a committee to look into the probability of preserving the local seafood industry through the development of the boat basin.

After which the group met regularly over a two-year period before commissioning a feasibility study sanctioned by the City of Apalachicola.

At the conclusion of the study, it was determined that the installation of a haul out lift, along with a fueling station, icehouse, a unloading dock and facilities to encourage open air markets where fishermen could sell their catch straight off the boats were all necessary to prolong the life of the struggling industry.

However, at the time city officials couldn’t afford to move the project forward until the recent discovery of possible funding through the Economic Development Administration.

At the meeting, Ballister asked the commission to enter into a contract with the ARPC to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Economic Development funding through the EDA to bring the long awaited project to fruition.

With assistance from city grant writer Cindi Giametta, the city’s match will be approximately $15,000. City administrator Betty Taylor-Webb is currently researching the city’s finances to find the funding necessary to ensure the match. Webb will report her finding to the commission within the next 30-days.

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