LA GRANGE / SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. (Apr. 6, 2022) – Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman awarded $1,318,540 in funding for Oldham and Shelby counties today. The funding comes through Gov. Andy Beshear’s Cleaner Water Program and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).
“Kentucky families deserve clean water, which is a basic human right,” Gov. Beshear said. “They also deserve safe and accessible roads, bridges and sidewalks, especially near schools, like Simpsonville Elementary. Today’s investments show what we can accomplish when we put our values into action.”
“Investments in infrastructure, like high-speed internet, clean water, roads and bridges, provide Kentucky a solid foundation for building tomorrow’s economy, today,” Lt. Gov. Coleman said.
As part of Gov. Beshear’s
Better Kentucky Plan, the Cleaner Water Program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA). At the close of the 2021 General Assembly, $250 million was appropriated through a bipartisan agreement for clean drinking water and wastewater grants to fund projects across Kentucky. The Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency submitted the funding requests for these counties to the KIA.
Oldham CountyLt. Gov. Coleman awarded $887,590 in Oldham County, including:
$624,600 to the Oldham County Water District for construction of the Liberty Lane water tank; and
$262,990 to the La Grange Utilities Commission for improvements near the Ft. Pickens water tank.
“We are very grateful to have this funding to improve drinking water and wastewater in Oldham County,” Oldham County Judge/Executive David Voegele said. “These funds will aid in the improvement of our infrastructure as our community continues to grow. I am very proud of the cooperative spirit among our local utility companies as they continuously strive to improve service and environmental protection.”
Shelby CountyLt. Gov. Coleman awarded $430,950 to the City of Simpsonville in TAP funding for sidewalk improvements near Simpsonville Elementary.
“I am very pleased that Simpsonville will receive $430,950 in TAP funding for Todds Point Road sidewalk improvements,” Shelby County Judge/Executive Dan Ison said. “This is another worthy project that will increase safety for students and the community as a whole. It is one more positive step towards economic growth for Simpsonville and Shelby County.”
“The City of Simpsonville, with AEI Inc., has worked extremely hard to provide this opportunity for the citizens north of U.S. 60,” Simpsonville Mayor Cary T. Vowels said. “This expansion will allow children to walk and ride bicycles to school and enable more citizens to have safe passage throughout town and provide an ever expanding quality of life.”
About the Cleaner Water ProgramMore than $153 million has been awarded to grantees to fund transformative projects since the call for projects was announced June 1, 2021. Eligible government agencies, such as city-owned water or sewer utilities, water commissions, water and sewer districts and counties, collaborated with their local Area Development Districts and Area Water Management Councils to submit projects for Cleaner Water Program funding. There are 713 public drinking water and wastewater utilities in Kentucky.
Cleaner Water Program funding is allocated in three ways:
$150 million based on each county’s proportion of the state’s population, with the exception of Jefferson County’s share, which is discounted by 50% based on its high per capita allocation from the federal act. A list of the allocations by county can be found
here.
$50 million is available for utilities to provide drinking water services to unserved, rural customers or to utilities under a federal consent decree. The KIA shall consider social, economic and environmental benefits in determining the allocations.
$49.9 million is available to supplement a project grant for a project with a cost in excess of a county’s allocation amount and other available grant sources. The social, economic and environmental benefits shall be considered in determining project allocations. KIA will receive $75,000 to administer the grant program.
The American Society of Civil Engineers in 2019 projected that Kentucky faces nearly $14.5 billion in water/wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, including over $8.2 billion in drinking water upgrades and $6.2 billion in sewer system improvements.
Information about the Cleaner Water Program, as well as grants for high-speed internet expansion, school facility upgrades and vocational education center renovations, can be found at
governor.ky.gov/BetterKy.
About the Transportation Alternatives ProgramTAP is a federally funded reimbursement program administered through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Local Programs. Funding supports non-motorized forms of transportation to improve connectivity, accessibility, safety and equity in communities. Transportation projects commonly include bicycle and pedestrian pathways, ADA compliance, Safe Routes to School and wildlife mitigation. The program covers 80% of the project cost.
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