With the aim of being operational by January of this year, and more than $11 million in funding coming from Illinois, Patrick Scates approached the Gallatin County Board Thursday night in the hopes of attaining some American Rescue Plan funds to help prepare a roadway. Turns out, he was one agenda item too late. Scates was seeking $100,000. The board heard from “Old Town” mayor William “Bill” Barton prior however and the board elected to commit it’s remaining $49,000 in funds to help the village’s 64 customers. Barton says, “What I’d use that for is a new well. I need a new well and I’ve got 4 gate valves inside my water plant that have to be replaced and they’re $16,000 before tax. That will burn up that, but I’m at the point where I don’t know what else to do to keep water coming into the village because in return; if I can keep water going and everything, then when new business comes in, of course that’s gonna help taxes and everything. It’s going to give somebody a job.” Barton says he’s also working with the EPA on a grant/loan for the water tower. The ARPA funds from the county will help Barton provide 300 gallons per minute, up from 170. Viserion alone uses between 75,000 and 100,000 gallons per month. If they’re not kept in water, Barton says the way their lease is set up, they start deducting “so much a day” from the lease for that issue.
Following that business, Scates talked about his request, “so there was a program through IDOT, a competitive freight program. The money originated from the federal government and flowed through IDOT and you could apply for that. A certain percentage of that could go to ports. So we filled out the grant and were awarded that a week or two ago. It was for Phase I, engineering and design, $500,000 so there has to be a 20% match. That’s why we’re looking for $100,000. The port doesn’t have an everyday person. We’re just sort of a group. We have an interest in it because our trucks are going to be coming in down there to pick up fertilizer. Viserion has a very hard interest in seeing this built.” Scates would go on to say if there’s another way the county can help participate, he believes the port is one of the best economic arms Gallatin County has. He says while it will benefit his and Viserion’s endeavors, the purpose is to help develop the port and to get new business to come to Gallatin County. “Could we do our project and Viserion’s without this, 100%, but is this port going to develop without this road? Probably not.” There are about 130 acres that can be developed surrounding the port.
