VALLEY GRANDE — The Valley Grande City Council met Monday to adopt resolutions presented by Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission and city engineer Ray Hogg, concerning a $450,000 grant.

Available through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the federal grant would go towards the city’s sewer project if the city is approved.

The resolutions include a citizen participation plan to get citizens’ input, the CDBG (community development block grant) standards of comments/methods, a handicap assessment to make sure facilities are equipped for the handicapped and a fair housing resolution, and must be adopted before the city can receive the federal grant and move forward with the project.

“ADECA decides who gets these grants … they’re federal funds … HUD funds, they’re given on a competitive basis, there’s a point rating system,” Hogg said. “This is usually for any type of community development activity — that can be water, sewer, storm drainage, roads, senior centers … typically, water and sewer score much higher than any of the rest of them.”

To get the maximum points on matching to get the grant, Hogg said the city must match 10 percent, or $45,000, of the grant. Hogg said the city does not have to put the money up now, and that grant applications are due May 15. The grants will be announced in August or September.

“The way I’m going to structure this … to replace the sewer lines we’ve got to rebuild the streets,” Hogg said. “You’re eligible to use your gasoline tax revenues if you want to as matching money.”

Because the sewer lines in Overlook Hills were constructed with terra cotta many of the lines have collapsed and need to be replaced with PVC. Hogg, Mayor Tom Lee and Alabama Tombigbee assistant director Frank Dobson, plan to have a series of meetings to discuss technicalities of the project.