Road repairs, maintenance of water lines, street signs, emergency vehicle radio equipment – these are things most of us take for granted. But some small communities aren’t financially able to provide these basic services to their citizens. The Rural Economic Action Plan of 1996 establishes an opportunity for less populated communities to secure funding for just such needs.
Nine communities in the Central Oklahoma region have been awarded funds to complete community development or infrastructure projects through the Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP), distributed by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG). REAP is designed to assist communities with populations less than 7,000 in identifying and completing projects they might not otherwise be financially able to implement. The projects enhance the quality of life in these communities by improving living and working conditions and contributing to economic development.
The REAP process begins with application packets being mailed by ACOG to eligible entities in August. ACOG conducts workshops to assist the applicants in preparing their submissions, and all applications are due back to ACOG by the end of October. The applications are scored and submitted to the ACOG Board of Directors for approval. There were forty-nine eligible applications requesting almost $6.3 million for projects in 2012. ACOG was allocated $547,792.00 in grant funds and was able to fund nine projects, with four alternate projects identified should additional grant funds become available.
The nine projects receiving funding include the following:
• $53,560.00 for road repair to nine blocks adjacent to Hwy 33 in the City of Langston
• $30,877.00 for purchase of police, fire and emergency management radio equipment by the Town of Union City
• $99,000.00 to repair and seal cracks in concrete streets in the Town of Marshall
• $96,562.50 to replace 1,135’ of water line in the Town of Jones City
• $65,065.36 for street repairs in the Town of Luther
• $69,500.00 for road repairs on State Highway 33 in Logan County, District 2
• $6,632.00 for purchase and installation of all new street signs in the Town of Coyle
• $99,975.00 for repairs to May Avenue in the Town of Cedar Valley
• $26,620.14 for road repairs to Calumet Road in Canadian County, District 3
ACOG distributes REAP funds to communities in the Central Oklahoma region which includes Oklahoma, Logan, Canadian and Cleveland counties.
“In Central Oklahoma, these small communities rely on REAP funds to satisfy infrastructure needs essential to creating economic development, as well as enriching the lives of local citizens,” said John G. Johnson, Executive Director of ACOG. “We are very appreciative and grateful that the Oklahoma Legislature continues to support and appropriate funds to the REAP program, allowing us to assist our member communities in their growth and development.”
For more information on the REAP program, visit www.acogok.org, or contact ACOG at (405) 234-2264.