Governor Bentley Awards $1.1 Million in Grants for Walker and Winston County Communities

By: Daniel Sparkman, Deputy Press Secretary & Director of Digital Media

DORA (Governor’s Office) – Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday awarded four Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to the cities of Dora, Jasper and Sumiton in Walker County and to the Winston County Commission. The grants will be used for sewer system rehabilitation, road resurfacing and lighting a diverse use trail.

“I have seen great things happening in rural Alabama. Jobs are coming back; businesses are opening and hope for a better quality of life is alive and well,” Governor Bentley said. “I am proud to support these grants and these projects because of what it will mean to the people in Walker and Winston Counties and the potential economic impact it will have in the future.

The city of Dora was awarded a $350,000 grant that will be used to rehabilitate the sewer system by replacing a pump station on Horse Creek Boulevard, and rehabilitating three deteriorated sewer pump stations. The city of Sumiton was awarded $100,000 to be used to purchase and install lighting along the existing paved, diverse use trail. The city of Jasper was awarded a $450,000 grant that will be used to rehabilitate a main sewer trunk running through the middle of the city. The Winston County Commission received a $346,941 grant to be used for reconstruction/resurfacing of 6.1 miles of County Roads 37 and 40.

CDBG grants are made available through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

“ADECA’s community development block grants are important investments in the quality of life for Alabama communities,” ADECA Director Jim Byard, Jr. said. “This year, ADECA received 108 applications for projects that support economic and community development.   We were able to award 54 projects totaling $17.5 million in investments. I am proud of the projects chosen this year, especially these projects for Walker and Winston counties.”

The CDBG program provides communities with resources to meet development needs and goes to affect the lives of millions of people throughout the country.

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