Senate, House representatives deliver funding
Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) and District Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Franklin) both visited Graham County on Dec. 20, presenting four checks totaling $4.895 million for various community needs.
“Our job is to get money for our district and we’ve been very successful with that,” said Corbin.
The money provided were four directive grants, appropriated only for use by the local department of transportation; Graham County; the Town of Robbinsville; and the Graham County Historical Association.
Corbin and Gillespie put in a request for the grants in the spring and the budget passed in October, concluding a 6-month process.
The first stop of the tour was the Graham County Department of Transportation Branch building. A check of $1.4 million was awarded, to rebuild the office building.
The second stop was the Graham County Courthouse, where two checks were presented; the first to Graham County for $2 million, to renovate or rebuild the Graham County Justice Center.
The design is still in the process and is 19 percent complete. At the Dec. 19 Graham County Board of Commissioners meeting, project manager Jason Marino described many options for the new courthouse – including a pod jail and possibly two levels of the courthouse.
The third check presented at the courthouse was to the Town of Robbinsville, totaling $1.395 million for water and sewer projects in the town. When requesting for the funding from the senator and representative, Adams pointed out in an email that many areas of the town have older 2- and 4-inch water lines with significant water loss and low residual pressure.
The projects would see 6-inch waterlines with fire hydrants installed in specific points of the town:
* Atoah and Circle streets, covering 2,800 feet with fire hydrants and a sidewalk replacement – to cost $475,000;
* Old Sweetwater Road, covering 3,785 feet with fire hydrants – to cost $570,000;
* Moose Branch and Mauney Cove roads, covering 7,800 feet with fire hydrants – to cost $1,2000,000.
Several sections of stormwater piping must also be upgraded. The estimated cost of the stormwater improvements is $350,000.
The final stop of the tour was just down the street at Phillips and Jordan. A $100K check was presented to the Graham County Historical Association for capital needs.