Tioga County Projects Get $3.83M in State Consolidated Funds

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2019 Consolidated Funding Awards were announced recently with the village and town of Owego awarded a combined $2,928,000 and other projects in Tioga County receiving a combined $900K in state funds.


The Village of Owego will use a $250,000 Housing and Community Renewal NY Main Street grant to encourage renovation work on North Avenue and a $30,000 Department of Conservation Environmental Planning Grant to complete an engineering report aimed at recommending improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.


The Town of Owego will use Department of Conservation Water Quality Improvement Program funds to construct a salt storage facility and to upgrade the water pollution control plant, in the amounts of $500,000 and $2,148,000 respectively.


Village Mayor Michael Baratta stated, “We are pleased to be awarded State funds to further our improvements to the Village and Village systems. The NY Main Street Grant funds will be used in a defined area on North Avenue and will complement the Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant efforts.” The Mayor also indicated that the treatment plant study will provide recommended projects to improve performance by reducing inflow and infiltration in the sanitary sewer collection system.


The Town of Owego will benefit by the construction of a salt storage facility adjacent to the new Public Works facility and will prevent salt from entering a primary aquifer. Additionally, the upgrade to the water pollution control plant will help to meet State permit limits for phosphorus and nitrogen. Supervisor Don Castellucci shared, “The project will significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent and protect the water quality of the Susquehanna River.”


The overall Consolidated Funding Awards made in Tioga County totaled $3,830,000. Other projects include: green infrastructure improvements at the Waterman Conservation Education Center in the amount of $330,000, upgrades to Midwestern Pet Foods in the amount of $118,000, funds to assist with the construction of the Racker Neighborhood Depot in the amount of $424,000 and funds to the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District to complete a road culvert assessment in the amount of $30,000.


County Legislator Marte Sauerbrey commented, “The Southern Tier region received the highest award of
Consolidated Funding Application funds at $88.9 million in 2019. We are very pleased that Tioga County
received close to $4 million of that award.”


2019 marked the ninth year of the Consolidated Funding Application process.