Several projects for town improvements are moving forward for the Town of Sebastopol Board of Aldermen.
In a meeting last Tuesday, Mayor Greg McGarrity told the board the town had received a grant to purchase new radios and had several other grant applications pending.
“We applied for a forestry grant to get new radios through the county,” he said. “Everybody’s radios are out of date.”
The grant application was a joint effort with several municipalities throughout Scott County, with the county acting as the main applicant, McGarrity explained. The money for the radios would be coming to Sebastopol, but it would need to be sent to the county to purchase the new equipment.
“The county is buying the radios,” he said. “We just have to approve it because the check comes to us.”
Additionally, McGarrity said, the town has applied for a recreation trail grant to repair and resurface the walking path in Bishop Park. Roots have grown up under the path, damaging the surface and making it an uneven surface.
“It’s a $200,000 grant with a $30,000 match,” he said.
The town has also applied for a $5,000 grant to overhaul the tennis courts, which need resurfacing, painting, new nets and other miscellaneous work. McGarrity said he spoke to a contractor specializing in tennis courts, who said the cost of the work would be around $8,500.
In other business, the Board of Aldermen voted to change their regularly scheduled meeting time from 7 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. Mayor McGarrity said the earlier time is more convenient for board members getting off work and will lighten the burden on Town Clerk Michelle Anderson, who keeps the office open past its 4 p.m. closing time on meeting nights.
McGarrity said he was not sure what the legal requirements were for changing the meeting time, but he would look into it and take care of any required notices or publications.
