Council seeks funding for MTC move

After the conversation and walkthrough at the Moorcroft Town Center (MTC) with Commissioner Fred Devish regarding the possible relocation of the Moorcroft Branch Library into the building, the council is looking again at funding sources for moving Town Hall to the hill.

Mayor Ben Glenn spoke to the pre-approved plan at a workshop last week: “I think we have to get refocused on that. If we’re going to expend our money and just do this, there’ve been a couple grants out there that might work, we need to make a decision to chase the grants or not.”

The town has set aside the approximately $400,000 to cover the expense of the move.

“It’s allocated,” Glenn said. “It’s good to go, but if we can save that money and use it for other matches through the town, that would be better.”

One such grant was through ARPA and Clerk/Treasurer Cheryl Schneider had been assured the town had a good chance of being approved, but was not.

The deadline by which municipalities must have their applications into the state for this next round of funding is August and Schneider hopes to reapply with the original documentation: “I wondered if we have any chance at all to just take that same application and move forward.”

Councilman Austin Smith voiced his concern with the wait, “Are there grants that exist that you can do the work and they reimburse? I’m afraid that if we go for funding, we’ll be another year out and another year out.” To which he was assured there are.

Glenn opined, “If we have to wait a year and it looks like we’ll get the $400,000, then, it’s almost worth the wait.”

Councilman Rob Stewart suggested exploring options, “Maybe we can see what’s out there for us and if we have to hold off for the grant to come through; I honestly feel we should let Cheryl dig to see what we can get for the MTC and basically go from there.”

“We know we do have the money there,” Smith reiterated, “but if we come up with money, that would be fantastic.”

Approval to proceed with said application will appear on the agenda at the July 26 meeting.