ASCOG receives record REAP funds
Dec. 13—The Association of South Central Governments (ASCOG) has reported a record breaking year this year when it comes to receiving Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) funding.
According to Shannon Yarbrough, community and economic development planner with ASCOG, this year's record year saw the organization receive $2,590,909.09 in REAP funds, which will in turn be distributed. This year's total is up $1,086,718.09 from 2021's total of $1,504,191.
According to Yarbrough, this year ASCOG received 67 applications totaling $3,039,937.43. ASCOG awarded 57 ASCOG REAP grants totaling $2,590,909.09. The grant awards range from $30,000 to $136,363.63.
"This funding is crucial to rural Oklahoma communities, counties and unincorporated areas," Yarbrough said. "For many, these funds are used for engineering to get out from under a consent order or used as match for an additional funding source such as Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Water Resources Board or Oklahoma Department of Commerce. In other cases, it may just be a need that they just simply don't have the funding for. For many rural Oklahoma communities with a limited revenue stream, they just don't have the resources to keep up with the skyrocketing infrastructure costs. We need to continually demonstrate to our Governor and legislators that these dollars are vital to rural Oklahoma and although the REAP program remains on precarious footing it is only through the efforts of the legislature that this vital program still exists."
Funding from the REAP grants can be used to fund a variety of projects, according to ASCOG, including "engineering, water/wastewater repairs, street repair, storm sirens, repairs/upgrades to community facilities and public safety projects."
The top five recipients from ASCOG's service area included Byars ($136,363.63 — water project), Walters ($80,000.00 — street repairs), Marlow ($70,000.00 — storm sirens), Carnegie ($65,000.00 — street repairs), Stephens County Rural Water District #3 ($61,000.00 — waterline repair), Town of Hydro ($60,000.00 — water project), and Anadarko ($60,000 — fire hydrants).
In Stephens County and Jefferson County, recipients included:
—Central High — Community Center repairs — 45,000
—City of Comanche — streets — 45,000
—Jefferson County District 2 — streets — 45,000
—Jefferson County Conservation District — storage building for equipment — 39,347.80
—Marlow — storm sirens — 70,000
—Stephens County District 2 — conservation district dam repair — 45,000
—Stephens County District 3 — RWD #3 waterline repair — 61,000
—Waurika — generator at raw water station — 45,000
The contract signing will take place at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 12, 2023, at the Canadian Valley Technology Center, Bldg. 200.
For more information, contact Yarbrough at 580-736-7935 or 580-512-8635.
