County Still in Running for Generator Grant Funds

Fayette County Commissioners voted to reapply for a grant to buy backup power generators for Fayette Water Supply Corporation (FWSC).

The County had applied for a hazard mitigation grant from the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to buy four generators for FWSC. Commissioners voted to withdraw from the grant on April 6 due to the County’s expired Hazard Mitigation Plan, a document required for many grants, including the one from TDEM.

At a meeting on April 28, the Commissioners voted to send a “letter of extraordinary circumstances” to TDEM. The letter explained the County’s plans for renewing the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The letter allows the County to apply for grant funds while working to update the Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The County has since reapplied for the grant, this time to purchase three generators for FWSC. Commissioners voted to resubmit the application at a meeting last Thursday, May 12.

“The issue with the Hazard Mitigation Plan has been resolved,” said Fayette County grant specialist Angela Hahn at the meeting last Thursday. “The letter has been submitted, so we can move forward on behalf of Fayette Water. Although the County voted to withdraw from the grant on April 6, Hahn said TDEM kept the request active.

“TDEM never pulled the application, they just moved it to a different funding pot,” Hahn said.

“Fayette Water wants to go back with three generators, because they already purchased one.”

The County applied for roughly $430,000 to purchase the three generators. Hahn said the grant requires a local match of about $110,000. FWSC agreed to pay for the local match. Hahn said the grant will not cost Fayette County any money.

FWSC must purchase the backup generators to meet new state regulations that were enacted in response to water outages caused by Winter Storm Uri.