CADIZ — The village of Cadiz hopes to secure nearly $1 million in grant funding for a sewer line replacement project.

Cadiz Village Council discussed the matter Thursday evening during its regularly scheduled meeting, which was held via telephone conference due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. The village municipal building has been temporarily closed to the public until further notice in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

E.L. Robinson Engineering Business Manager Bob Allen, a consultant for the village, spoke to council regarding grant funding for the project. The South Central Collection Systems project is in its second phase that includes a sewer line replacement to the North and Central Trunk Collection lines. The first phase of the project to the North Trunk Lines was completed last year. The total cost of the project is $8,749,5000.

The village recently was approved for a $919,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Allen said.

“It’s a reimbursement-type grant. That means you’ll have to pay bills as they come through. You’ll provide documentation to the Army Corps of Engineers and they’ll provide reimbursement,” Allen said.

The village is still working on acquiring the nearly 200 property owners’ signatures in order to move forward with the project. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the easements to move forward with loan funding for the project. The village began collecting the easements from local residents earlier this year, but is still working to acquire all of them.

In addition, in order to move forward with the grant, the Army Corps of Engineers requires a hazardous toxic radioactive waste study to be performed. Allen said there are only two environmental firms in the vicinity that are able to perform the necessary study, K.C. Harvey Environmental LLC and Stone Environmental Engineering & Science, both of which submitted proposals for the study.

K.C. Harvey submitted a bidl of $14,300, while Stone Environmental submitted a bid of $9,400.

“You had one of those (HTRAW study) done for your first grant. That was by K.C. Harvey in Marietta,” Allen said. “You have to do the study in order to get the grant. It’s one of those costs you have to incur in order to get the $919,000.”

Mayor John G. Migliore asked Allen if council should accept the proposal from Stone Environmental, whose cost was “significantly lower” to perform the study. Allen concurred that council should move forward with a motion. Solicitor Costa Mastros suggested council add that the motion be conditional upon a “final go through” with the company and Allen.

Councilman Terry Capers made a motion to move ahead with Stone Environmental’s proposal on the approval of Allen, it was seconded by Councilman Eric Miller. The motion was unanimously passed.

Once the study is completed, the village will be one step closer to securing the grant and moving forward with the project, Allen said.

Councilman John Vermillion thanked Allen for all his work on the project.