San Juan Bautista
– A representative of the national Economic Development
Administration recently confirmed that the EDA’s $3.8 million grant
to the Mission City’s water improvement project is under
review.
San Juan Bautista – A representative of the national Economic Development Administration recently confirmed that the EDA’s $3.8 million grant to the Mission City’s water improvement project is under review.
On Tuesday morning, John Atwood of the EDA’s public affairs office responded by e-mail to the Free Lance’s inquiries regarding the grant’s status.
“On June 6, 2006, EDA wrote the city requesting a list of financial documents, and the last document was finally submitted to EDA at the end of October,” Atwood wrote. “The documents are under review by EDA, and EDA will make a determination as to whether this investment can succeed with only one recipient – the city of San Juan Bautista.”
The EDA awarded the grant in February of 2005 to both the city and the San Benito County Water District. The grant’s purpose was to help fund improvements to the city’s outdated water system; however, the two agencies could not reach a joint agreement to govern the grant’s administration, and the EDA suspended the award in August of 2005.
According to Atwood, the water district would have provided the majority of the local matching funds, and when the district withdrew from the project earlier this year, “the city diligently pursued alternative sources for the necessary local match requirements.”
City Manager Jan McClintock has said that although the city still needs to receive the final grant cover letter from the EDA, she hopes to go out to final bid for the project in December.
“The grant is still moving forward – every single piece of it,” she said.
City Councilman Chuck Geiger and San Juan Bautista resident Jim Pereyra – who were both running for seats on the City Council – have said they are concerned about whether the city will receive the funds. They have also argued that McClintock and Councilwoman Priscilla Hill are trying to “candy-coat” the situation.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
