Louisa council approves water plant upgrades

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

LOUISA — Improvements to the water plant and a strategic plan for the city were the main issues at the Louisa City Council’s regular meeting last Tuesday, Oct. 13. During the session, council members authorized the use of depreciation funds for upgrades to the city’s water plant. Mayor Harold Slone said that when the city borrowed more than $20 million for the new water plant several years ago, some of the funds had to be put in the bank to use to repair problems that might arise at the facility. The city has “a little over half a million dollars” in those depreciation funds from the loan, which he added would be paid off in 2022. He recommended that the money be used to upgrade technology at the water plant. “Most of that technology is now to the point when something tears up, we can’t even fix it,” he said, recommending that the city “put all new technology in the water plant.” He said the improvements and costs would include raising the raw-water pump boxes up and out of the floodplain, $12,000; computers and technology upgrades, $372,000; and a pre-filter system, $80,000. The total cost of the project is $672,200, he said, and $550,000 is in the depreciation fund. Slone said the city would apply for grants to cover the remaining costs. The council also authorized the city to apply for an Appalachian Regional Commission Flex-E-Grant with the Lawrence County Fiscal Court and the Lawrence County Tourism Commission to be used for a strategic plan. “The grant is usually ten-thousand dollars, with a twenty percent match,” Slone said. “So what that would mean is, if we got the grant, we would have to come up with two-thousand dollars, and that would be split between the city, the county and tourism to match.” The mayor said a similar strategic plan was developed recently for Paintsville, and city officials were “satisfied with the results of the plan.” “Basically, somebody is going to come here, assess our needs, talk to citizens,” he said. “They have meetings with the citizens to see what citizens think we need, and they put that all together into a plan that we, as city, county and tourism, start working toward. And it’s geared more toward tourism, not as much economic development.” Slone said the grant is “very competitive.” “The plan should cover economic opportunities, a ready workforce, critical infrastructure, natural and cultural assets, and leadership and community capacities,” he said. “The ones I saw seem to target more for tourism, but tourism involves economic development and all of those other things.” If the grant is awarded, Lawrence County would be the lead agent and hire the firm to develop the plan, Slone said.