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Show Jjcimmt Continues Quest Of Grant 9f By TOM BUSSELBERG North County Editor . . . FARMINGTON Layton's forging new ground when it comes to forcing its hand on the county's community commun-ity block grants. THE MAYOR and other city officials are taking their quest for further review of the eight proposals approved as well as 10 others that sought funding. At issue is denial of Layton's downtown redevelopment rede-velopment grant for a second time in a row with $388,000 asked. It was a new experience for the Wasatch Front Regional Region-al Council, the body that reviewed re-viewed the grants after the COG approval followed by state scrutiny. THE THREE committee members handling the appeals procedure were Mayor Norm Sant from Sunset, also chairman chair-man of the Davis Council of Governments who reviewed and decided on those grants initially in-itially approved: Mayors J. Farrell Shepherd from South Ogden and Gerald K. "Jerry" Maloney of West Valley City. The trio didn't hide the fact they weren't really sure where the appeal was headed but it was determined they didn't ., have the power to deny or "approve those grants given the Davis COG's go-ahead. BUT IT is in the state's power, pow-er, and while it wasn't openly announced in the hearing, the press was told that Davis County's request for a telecommunications tele-communications system, at a $91,500 cost, didn't quite "cut it" as far as meeting the federal criteria, including lack of any participating moneys on the county's part. At the heart of Layton's contentions, according to Clark Adams, president of the Layton Downtown Rehabilitation Rehabilita-tion committee, was that many of the grants approved didn't completely follow guidelines set down. He rehearsed the lengthy process he, City Planner Plan-ner Scott Carter, Mayor Shields and Councilwoman Ann Harris used, among others to assure a "perfectly prepared" grant. BUT MICK Crandall, assistant assis-tant director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, indicated indi-cated the grants were reviewed more to determine if they met criteria, not whether every section met all technical demands. de-mands. Grants that were approved included: $85,000 for housing rehabilitation through the Davis County Housing Authority; Au-thority; $69,225 for Centerville water project; $145,000 to West Bountiful for a storm and ground water drainage proposal; prop-osal; $200,000 for Farmington public safety building; $40,500 Clearfield flood control project; pro-ject; the telecommunications system; $160,000 Syracuse secondary water system; $186,950 Kaysville water projects. pro-jects. AMONG GRANTS that fell by the wayside in addition to Layton's were:a $100,000 South Weber road project; $60,000 Woods Cross park; $43,393 for a Fruit Heights flood control dam; $89,131 emergency routing system from Weber State College; $100,000 West Bountiful road and $122,000 park; two Clearfield Clear-field proposals, for a $250,000 water grant and $42,000 curb, gutter and sidewalk request. A late request was received for a handicapped project, as well, from Layton's Ruby Price. Although no date was set for the state hearing, Mayor Shields said he wants to meet as soon as possible with the hearing to be held in the State Office Building adjoining the Capitol. THIS IS only the second year grants have been handled by the mayoral COG on to WFRC and the state under President Reagan's decentralization decentrali-zation program, removing power from regional authorities author-ities that for this area sat in Denver. During the hearing, Mayor Shields expressed concern a technical review or indepth study of each grant proposal wasn't made before the mayors had to decide criteria. They received packets outlining outlin-ing each proposal before the February meeting, heard five minute presentations about each grant and then had to evaluate eva-luate proposals. Ranking was based on a point system. "I GET a little disturbed with what I'm hearing," Mayor Shields said. "I was under the assumption that there was a technical review before we (mayors) ever graded them. I had the assumption there was some kind of screening. How can we judge 18 applications" in such a short time, he asked. "We were looking at merits--I was not making that technical technic-al review. There is no way Layton City will ever make it (and receive a grant)," he continued con-tinued reiterating an argument raised previously that only small cities under 10.000 arc generally funded. That view was strongly contested by Mayor Sant. STRESSING city officials believe the federal criteria weren't we-ren't properly followed, Mrs. Harris said, "If (you) addressed addres-sed every criteria we should have a little more chance than those that came in who didn't meet any of them." And Mr. Adams stressed, "I fault the chart (not the people)." AMONG THOSE criteria, national objectives include: low and moderate income; prevention pre-vention or elimination of slums and blight; urgent health ami safety needs. A public hearing was required re-quired to gain input before applications ap-plications were submitted although all didn't follow that rule, just added this year. IN ADDITION, population growth was included as well as comparisons with each county's coun-ty's median income and that of those who supposedly would be served by a project. Unemployment Unem-ployment was added, as well. Word is expected on the grants from state officials May 15. |
