It’s time for the Village of Middleburgh to take a lesson from its neighbors and get serious about getting grants.
That’s the consensus after a meeting Mayor Tim Knight and Trustees Bob Tinker and Kevin Young had with representatives from SEEC, MIDTEL, and the Appalachian Regional Council on what it might take to help the village move forward, mostly with infrastructure.
“There’s a lot of money out there,” Mr. Tinker said Monday, running through the meet-up, “and we really need to get serious about getting some of it.”
Unfortunately, he said—as other communities have learned—most of the available money comes as matching grants; they should focus on those with a low match, he said.
The Town of Richmondville has been successful in getting grants for the Warnerville sewer system, Mr. Tinker pointed out, while the Village of Sharon Springs was a $2.5 million recipient of one of the first-ever New York Forward grants.
“Maybe we can contact them and see what we can do better,” he suggested.
Though the village has been successful in getting some funding, both expanding the sewer system and paving are needs that are looming.
“First, we need to get the money,” he said.
In the past, Mr. Tinker said, there’s been talk about Schoharie County hiring a grant writer—something that would benefit everyone—but it’s an idea that’s never gone beyond talk.
Mr. Young said most of the grants available now seem to be for housing—not infrastructure—but there may be a way to pair the two.
What Middleburgh really needs, Mayor Knight said, is a story.
“We need a message,” he said. “What should the state or the federal government invest in Middleburgh?
“What’s our story? Who are we? What are our priorities?”
Hoping to find answers to at least that last question, the Village Board agreed to include a survey in its next round of water and sewer bills.
At Mr. Tinker’s suggestion, there will also be a place on the survey for residents to volunteer on a committee that would begin pulling together a strategy.
“We need to know what people think is important,” he said. “Then we can start working on it.”