Grants Rolled in During 2022
Fayette County received its second allocation of funding through the American Rescue Plan in May of 2022. The County continued to use the funds to fill gaps identified county-wide. The renovation of the Flatonia EMS station was completed, as was a crew’s quarter in Round Top at the Round Top fire station. The Schulenburg EMS station was nearing completion at the end of the year.
ARP funds were also used to assist local tourism efforts with donations to the Faison House in La Grange, the Fayetteville Community Center and the Muldoon Museum. The County contributed to the Gardenia Animal shelter renovation project using ARP funds as well. At year’s end, the County was considering several other projects for the use of the remaining funds.
The Schulenburg Volunteer Fire Department was successful in their application for a regional grant through the Assistance to Firefighters program. The fire departments in Ellinger, Carmine, La Grange, Winchester and Round Top-Warrenton, along with Fayette County EMS were part of that application. The award was for $979,170 and will be used to purchase radios.
The County continues to
work with General Land Office (GLO) and Grantworks on the buyout of the homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Two pieces of property were purchased and demolition contractors approved with demo work anticipated to start either at the end of the year or by the first of January. Grantworks continues to work with GLO for the purchase of the rest of the properties.
The application submitted by the County to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) for generators on behalf of Fayette Water Supply Cooperative continued to move forward. The application was submitted to FEMA in the late summer by TDEM. The hazard mitigation plan also moved forward with the award of a $100,000 grant from GLO; this a multi-jurisdictional plan was expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
In the spring of 2022, Fayette County was approached by TDEM about the possibility of revitalizing an application for a drainage study. The original application had been submitted to TDEM in 2018 following Hurricane Harvey. The proposal at that time was to conduct a drainage study on Buckner’s Creek. Commissioners Court agreed to move forward with the application if the scope of work could be widened to a county-wide drainage study. At the end of 2022, that application was also under FEMA review.
The County received smaller grants for a recycling center in Warrenton and for equipment for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. Fayette County EMS also received grant funding through the Providers Relief Fund which provided for the purchase of new medical equipment for the ambulances.