Upgrades to the town's water treatment system are first on a list of items that Mayor Kenneth Stinson has submitted to Governor Jindal's office for possible funding under President Obama's economic stimulus package. During Tuesday night's city council meeting, Stinson said improvements could include a new well, updating the current water treatment plant, and above-ground storage. With the improvements, the water capacity would increase to accommodate new businesses in Vinton.
"We are looking to have some new businesses coming in like hotels, and we are going to need more water," said Stinson. "We are just looking to get what we can for the town."
Stinson warned, however, that the money is not guaranteed, and preference is usually given to shovel-ready projects.
"It's just like a Christmas wish list," Stinson said, "the first people with their hands in the pot could have a chance to get some of the money. That is the reason we started early, but we are still unsure of how much money Vinton will receive, if any."
The mayor and a few city officials loaded an airplane Wednesday morning to travel to Washington, D.C. for a hearing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The town will present their case to have FEMA reimburse money the town spent cleaning laterals (ditches) in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Rita. FEMA had previously authorized the city to do the work, but has not yet delivered the $877,000 sum to cover the costs. The agency counters that the city has not followed all of the directives given regarding the reimbursement of money spent on debris cleanup. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. today at FEMA headquarters.
Also pending are the "tree audit" results. In late January of this year, the town performed an audit of all trees that were cut by a Vinton-hired contractor after Hurricane Rita.
Stinson explained that the aim of the audit was to recover $600,000 that the Federal Emergency Maintenance Agency is to repay the town of Vinton.
In other council business, the board approved Class A Beer and Class A Liquor Permits for Taco Rico, a local restaurant. Although the business has been granted local approval, they must also apply for statewide approval.
