A public hearing was held prior to the regular Liberty town board meeting on June 17 regarding a Community Development Block Grant.

Town grant writer Mark Blauer, of Blauer Associates, said the purpose of the public hearing was to meet the statutory requirement to inform the public of the town’s intention to apply for up to $600,000 in Small Cities HUD Funds for “further improvement to the Loomis Sewage Treatment Plant.”

Two years ago, the town received the same type of grant, in the same amount, from the same program administered by the Office of Community Renewal in Albany. That grant was put to use on Phase I of the Loomis Plant.

But while the work, previously mandated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and handled by Phase I, is already funded, the DEC wants more work, and the town now has the opportunity to satisfy the DEC with the Phase II project, said Blauer.

Although many communities compete for the grant, Blauer believes the Town of Liberty has a good chance of succeeding. “Every year we try to identify a public improvement within the town that would otherwise cost the residents a good deal of money that we try to pay for with the grant. This is another opportunity to do this.”

Blauer explained that Loomis Phase II will solve a problem “with the ammonia in the effluent that is a by-product of the old technology that was installed originally at that treatment plant.” The project will take place during 2014 - 2015.

A public hearing regarding bonding (less any grants received) for other improvements at the Loomis facility will be held on Monday, July 15 at 6:50 p.m., just prior to the regular monthly town board meeting at 7 p.m.