MSI funding projects

Written by production

Thursday, 04 March 2010 18:06

The Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding grants for the County of Forty Mile, the Village of Foremost and the Town of Bow Island have been announced and on the surface the amounts these municipalities are going to receive look promising. The County of Forty Mile has been approved for $1,847,921. Last year it received $965,719. “We are pleased with what we got but I did hear the government is going to cut some unconditional funding the county got before on a yearly basis. It this is just a straight out increase, we’re pleased, but if not then we will be at a similar level we were in in 2009,” county administrator Dale Brown said. He added he is trying to contact Municipal Affairs for more information regarding unconditional funding cuts. The county will likely put the majority of the funding towards its new public works building. The Village of Foremost was approved for $265,615. Last year it received $121,945. The Town of Bow Island will get $630,945 in MSI funding while last year it received $340,103. Mayor Alan Hyland explained that when the MSI funding first came out, it was supposed to be for capital projects, however it has since been divvied into capital and operating funds. “The town has taken a stand that it should all be used for capital projects, and so in our instance it all goes to capital projects,” he said. Town manager, Anna-Marie Bridge said she has talked to MPE Engineering and elicited a quote for the 4th St. East loop project which will proceed from the railroad tracks under the south side of the highway. As soon as she gets the quote she will bring it into council and they will decide whether to go forward with that project with the funding.