Bear Creek applies for grant to repair roads

BEAR CREEK - Another major step has been taken by the town of Bear Creek toward restoring 19 badly deteriorated roads, as the town council approved a resolution for a $391,000 grant at its July 18, meeting.
The total cost of paving the 19 roads will be $850,000, stressed Bear Creek Mayor Rob Taylor.
“This will cover a little over half,” said Taylor. “We’re going to borrow money to pay for the rest of it.
“It will be huge if we can get that done,” Taylor stressed. “I can’t remember the last time we have had any amount of paving like this. We need it bad.”
Taylor called for the council to introduce Resolution 7-2025, authorizing an application for 2025 Small City Competitive Grant funds through the State of Alabama Community Development Block Grant program.
The resolution calls for the Town of Bear Creek to apply $39,105 as local matching funds toward the project’s completion, as well as maintaining the affected roads once the project has been completed, Taylor emphasized.
Council Member Chris Gillum made a motion to accept the resolution to pay the matching amount of $39,105 for the CDBG, seconded by Adam Hyde, with all council members voting in favor, including Gillum, Hyde, Eric Mills and Tom Misner.
“We have $118,000 on the gas tax we’re going to put into that and we’ll borrow the rest,” Taylor explained after the vote.  Hopefully, everything will go.” 
Taylor compiled a list of 19 city streets or roads that are in dire need of improvement, including Amanda Street, Frederick Street, Bowen Street, Goddard Avenue, Goddard Road, Old Mill Drive, Bear Creek Drive, Dogwood Lane, Green Meadow Circle, Cofield Drive, Gin Street, Phyllis Avenue, Austin Drive, Hulsey Road, Hickory Drive, Edge Road, Baker Avenue, Phillips Road and Poore Road.