Freedom Town Board handles block grant paperwork

Freedom's board of trustees met last Wednesday evening, July 8, to wrap up some details involving the gas line replacement project.

Grant consultant Jennifer Firgard presented the information to board members Rolando Galindo and Randy Rhodes, along with Mayor Shad Brackin and Town Clerk Cindy Reed. The meeting was held via Zoom, as the town has been doing consistently for the past few months.

After some discussion, the board approved the anti-displacement plan for the gas line replacement project. This is a standard part of the process, said Firgard. “If this (project) is going to displace anyone, we'll find housing for them and take care of them until they get back in their home,” she said. “It's a standard part of the template.”

The board then addressed the leverage-match form for the gas line replacement project. “All that is saying is all the money you put in as leverage (in the application), you still have it sitting there committed to the project,” said Firgard.

Brackin asked Reed, “Clerk, do we still have this money sitting there ready to go?” As Reed tried to answer, technical problems ensued. Ultimately, though, her “yes” got through, and Firgard said, “Whew!” The board approved signing the leverage-match form.

The last item related to the gas line replacement project was simply “to approve the mayor to sign all remaining forms related to release of funds to complete the environmental review process.”

“There are other docs that don't necessarily need board approval, but we do need the mayor to sign them,” said Firgard. “There's an environmental certification saying we've completed everything environmentally and requesting funds be released.” She said that approving this measure would help speed things along, so that when invoices come in, for example, the block grant funds will take at least two weeks to be released, “and if we have to wait for a board meeting (to approve the invoice) an additional two weeks, this form allows them to submit the invoices before they're approved in the meeting.” The board approved the item.

Before she left the meeting, Firgard urged Brackin to go to the office and sign the paperwork so that the town's office manager can send them to Firgard. “Our deadline is Aug. 13, so we're a month ahead so that's really good. Now the fun begins and we get to start building and working on the big packet so when we get approval to go out for bid we can.

After Firgard's departure, the board went on to approve past meeting minutes and purchase orders for the general, ambulance and fire funds.

An agenda item regarding the 522 EMS District was tabled, because the presenter was not on the call or at the town office.

Finally, Randy Rhodes told the board that the next meeting would be his last; he will be handing in his resignation for the Town of Freedom's Board of Trustees. This will be made official at the next meeting.