Governor Haslam Delivers $500,000 Grant Award To Town of Oneida

Oneida, TN (2011-11-22) Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam personally delivered a $500,000 check to the Town of Oneida Tuesday morning. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will be used to rehabilitate the town’s aging sewer system.

Although he was in town to personally deliver a $500,000 check to the Town of Oneida Water and Wastewater Department, Governor Bill Haslam took the time Tuesday morning to address the county’s unemployment situation. “How do we provided jobs (to Tennessee residents),” commented Gov. Haslam. That one statement, implied Gov. Haslam, summed up the state’s position on the economy. “We’re aware that rural areas are struggling most,” he added. Gov. Haslam went on to say that rural areas, like Scott County, were at the forefront of all the state’s discussions, which ranged from issues involving education to industrial recruitment.

“(We’re) concentrating on J-O-B-S,” commented State Representative Kelly Keisling (R-38). Rep. Keisling likewise pleaded the state’s full support of job creation in Scott County. “With the Governor’s help, we can get this done,” he added.

As far as his reason for being in Oneida, Gov. Haslam proudly presented a $500,000 check to Oneida Mayor Jack E. Lay, who accepted the award on behalf of the Oneida Water and Wastewater Department. “(This money) is important for building infrastructure to recruit jobs (to the community),” commented Gov. Haslam.

“(This grant) is important to our community,” remarked Mayor Lay. The funding will allow the Town to continue working on a fifteen year project to rehabilitate its dilapidated sewage collection system. “The Oneida sewer system was originally put into service in the early 1960s,” commented Lay. In 1995, the Town found significant deficiencies in the collection system, which was allow rainwater to infiltrate the basin. Given the cost associated with fixing the problems, the Town implemented formulated a long-range reduction plan. To date, the Town has completed six phases of the project, spending $3 million dollars in CDBG funding.

The 2011 CDBG funding will be used to test the collection system and rehabilitate approximately 6,000 linear feet of gravity sewer and associated manholes.

The project is expected to pass by 1,333 homes, with the majority, 1,193, located inside Oneida, and another 140 in Winfield, affecting some 3,189 people.