The Marshall County Council has agreed to designate matching funds for a grant application that could lead to greater road funding from the state of Indiana.
INDOT is accepting grant applications until the end of July for projects that county and local governments will be seeking. A special LOIT distribution was approved by the state during this year’s short session of the general assembly, but those funds are allowed to be used as a match for a grant that would supply more funding.
Commissioner Kurt Garner says he felt more consensus was necessary.
“I felt like we needed confirmation from you guys that we can use the LOIT funds, those funds that are being distributed back to communities, as matching for that grant,” says Garner.
Marshall County has nearly completed its estimates for the projects list and is working with the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) on the grant application.
Current projects include Union Road, Elm Road, a portion of Muckshaw Road, and 7th Road connecting Veterans and King at a cost of $2-million
The Commissioners are targeting specific projects on their list that may act as a form of economic development. Garner says Marshall County is acting on the belief that INDOT will assess the applications partially based on that variable.
“The types of projects that we’re looking to do have some relationship to that just to rank us a little bit higher,” says
If the grants are awarded, it makes for a relatively tight timeline for completing the projects in 2016, but Marshall County believes it is ready to start work at any time.
The county has a $5-million road plan for 2016. Governments around the state are seeking the matching grant funds from INDOT. Marshall County hopes to turn in their application before the middle of July.
