Monticello Receives $500,000 for Sewer Upgrades

The city of Monticello has been awarded $500,000 for sewer improvements through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
Gov. Sonny Perdue made the announcement Tuesday when he announced that Georgia was awarded over $43 million in federal grants from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund the CDBG grants.

Monticello Mayor Glenn Newsome said it is wonderful news for the community. He praised the work of City Manager Bob Schwartz and engineer Robert Jordan in completing the grant application. He also expressed appreciation to the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center for its help.

The money will fund badly needed infrastructure improvements along the sewer lines in the Funderburg Drive, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive areas.

“The Community Development Block Grant program provides an essential financial resource to Georgia’s smaller communities in their efforts to fund projects that will assist low- and moderate-income citizens,” said Governor Perdue. “As communities large and small are making tough spending choices, today’s grant announcement represents an important funding source for various local quality of life, economic development and job creation programs.”
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The grant will fund improvements to a sewer system built in 1936, said city officials. More than 400 families will be affected, said the mayor.

The CDBG program is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which uses funds allocated through HUD to support local initiatives that focus on improving living conditions and economic opportunities.

“We are pleased that these funds will be used to fund critical community development projects,” added DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. “Each year, the annual CDBG funding announcement demonstrates how federal, state, regional, and local partners are working together to support local communities and build a brighter future for all Georgians.”

For more information regarding Georgia’s CDBG programs, please visit DCA’s website at http://www.dca.ga.gov/communities/CDBG/programs/CDBGCHIP.asp.