Stephens County Pursuing Hazard Mitigation Grant

Stephens County is seeking grant funding through a federal disaster declaration to purchase some equipment.

On Tuesday, the county commission unanimously approved moving forward with a hazard mitigation grant application.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said the county is eligible for the grant because it was included in a federal disaster declaration issued back in April for the snow and ice that hit north Georgia between February 15 and February 17 of this year.

“We are eligible to receive a grant for a generator at a critical facility and we do have a critical facility, which is our Public Works Department that houses our shop and our fueling station and a body cooler for the coroner,” said Ayers. “This particular grant will have 10 percent from the state of Georgia, 75 percent from the federal government and 15 percent from us. The amount we would pay would be about $5,800 for an emergency generator.”

In other news from Tuesday’s Stephens County Commission meeting, the commission unanimously approved a fire protection services agreement between the Tates Creek Fire Department in Stephens County and Banks County.