By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich- The village was awarded a $150,000 grant to fund a project to systemically identify all village drains. The grant was announced at the March 12 village council meeting.
By a 5-0 vote in November 2013 the village council moved forward with the grant application. The village, with the assistance of WadeTrim engineers, was awarded part of $450 million grant available from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater, Asset Management, Wastewater (SAW) grant or loan. The state legislature OK’d $97 million of the funds for 2014 to be allocated to various Michigan communities on a first-come, first-served basis to fund asset management plans.
The grant, which will require a 10 percent match, will be used by the village for update mapping, developing a geographic information system (GIS) and purchase of GIS software. WadeTrim will then train village staff, scan existing construction drawings and tie into GIS linked mapping for easy retrieval. The proposal includes the initial set up of the project. The upkeep will be the responsibility of the village.
WadeTrim will scan the streets and ground with equipment to determine the location of the existing drains.
Village Manager Jakki Sidge said the project has been ongoing.
‘There are many drains throughout the village many are unmarked or unidentified,” she said. “From old farmer drains and sump pump drains, not to mention clay tile drains. The grant will assist in knowing where these are.”