Pictured above from left to right are Lanett Utilities Superintendent Allen Summers, Lanett Mayor Jamie Heard, and Lanett City Attorney Stanley Gray
LANETT- During Last night’s Lanett Mayor and Council meeting, those in attendance could not help, but look at a very large check that the city recently received. Mayor Jamie Heard proudly announced that the city was the recipient of a $4.3 million Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) Grant. Lanett was one out of only five cities in Alabama to receive the grant
“This will allow us to replace our current cast iron gas pipes,” said Mayor Jamie Heard.
The grant was presented to Lanett in a ceremony in Tallassee as Heard, City Attorney Stanley Gray, and Utilities Superintendent Allen Summers accepted on behalf of the city of Lanett.
“We applied for this grant over a year ago. It’s been a long process but well worth the wait. This is a PHMSA Grant which is through the Pipelines Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and is for infrastructure. We’re going to use it for the replacement of our cast iron pipes and regulator station that is down by our shop as well as other related services including old dilapidated type services on the cast iron and equipment upgrades. This is going to be a lot of help”, said Summers
The Grant was nationwide, yet only five cities in the state of Alabama applied. The City of Lanett was one of only five cities in the country to be awarded the grant.
The Grant is for five years and the city of Lanett can also apply for future grants with no matching funds. the purpose of the PHMSA Grant is to repair or replace natural gas distribution pipeline systems to reduce incidents and fatalities and impact economic losses.
“We were recommended to apply next year which I am very confident we will”, added Gray.
The City of Lanett should begin repairs beginning next month.
