Don’t forget about Elsmore.
That was Brenda Boyle’s request to county commissioners, as she asked for help with stormwater projects.
Elsmore received $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and decided to use the money to replace, repair and clean outdated whistles and ditches.
It’s an important project for the city, Boyle said, and they want to maximize this opportunity.
Historically, Elsmore hasn’t asked a lot of the county, Boyle said.
“The money on this project will go a lot further with help from the county,” she said. “What tasks might the county be willing to help us with this project and what kind of timeframe would we be looking at?”
Public Works Director Mitch Garner said his crews planned to replace a 20-foot, 20-inch whistle but other projects had taken priority and they hadn’t gotten to it yet.
Commissioners urged Garner and Boyle to work through a list of projects, and determine how county crews could help.
“I would like a full assessment,” she said. “I drove around town and looked at every whistle and every ditch and made notes, but that’s the assessment of a woman who doesn’t know what she’s doing. I would like to have somebody more qualified than me come and make a full assessment of the town.”
Commission Chairman Bruce Symes said he believes there’s opportunity for “conversation and cooperation.”
Boyle also asked about equipment, and suggested the county might consider purchasing things that other communities could use to help them clean their whistles and ditches.
Commissioners also advised her to talk to other communities to see what they use, and if they could cooperate.
