Federal emergency grants on the table for Cleveland Utilities

Ray McKay, left, and Merv Owenby, of Cleveland Utilities, work on the lines above Georgetown Road in Cleveland in this file photo.
Ray McKay, left, and Merv Owenby, of Cleveland Utilities, work on the lines above Georgetown Road in Cleveland in this file photo.

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Cleveland Utilities is set to receive a $250,000 federal grant it will use to improve electrical service infrastructure in the Michigan Avenue area, which was damaged by severe storms in April 2011.

The Cleveland City Council on Monday authorized Mayor Tom Rowland to complete documentation for the Community Development Block Grant Supplemental Disaster Recovery Fund. CU officials already have completed documentation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.

Bart Borden, vice president of CU's electric division, said the money will be used to build a tie line along Peach Orchard Hill Road from Benton Pike to Michigan Avenue.

The line, which will be more than two miles long and incorporate steel poles, "will provide an alternate electrical feed to the Michigan Road Avenue area - which serves industrial, commercial and residential loads - for service redundancy," Borden said.

Whirlpool's new Cleveland facilities and the Cleveland Regional Jetport are in the Michigan Avenue area.

CU officials estimate the 18-month project will cost $546,622, and the utility will contribute $296,622 in labor.

In other business Monday, the council voted 7-0 for the city to submit an application to the FEMA flood mitigation program.

The program gives governments funds to buy flood-prone properties, said Jonathan Jobe, director the city's development and engineering department.

FEMA will cover up to 75 percent of the mitigation cost for properties that represent a flood hazard, according to the City Council resolution. The share rises to 90 percent for properties experiencing recurring flood losses, and to 100 percent for properties that have suffered repeated, severe flood damage.

The resolution calls for properties the city acquires through the FEMA program to be maintained "as permanent open space in order to alleviate future flood hazards."

At least one structure is likely to be considered for the program, and another two or three properties may be considered, Jobe said.

In related business, the Army Corps of Engineers is expected to present findings and recommendations associated with a comprehensive flood risk study in the near future, he said.

Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.

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