Third grant in 2 months has New Canada ecstatic

NEW CANADA – Three months ago officials in this small northern Maine town were banging their heads against the wall, looking for ways to get grants from the state.

On Friday, Town Manager Rodney Pelletier was ecstatic while announcing the third grant the town has received in the past two months. The latest grant, Pelletier announced Friday, is $30,000 to assist local homeowners with faulty septic systems.

Last month the town acquired a Community Development Block Grant of $250,000 for the construction of a community center-town hall.

Last month, the town was notified that it would be receiving a second community grant of $150,000 for housing rehabilitation.

“With this new grant we will be able to encourage residents who have faulty septic systems to get them replaced,” Pelletier said Friday. “We will do the systems that need it the most.”

Pelletier said officials hope to assist at least five people, maybe six, with faulty septic systems. Three have already been approved for funding and the Department of Environmental Protection will visit six more sites next week.

Qualifications for the program are developed by DEP. The amount of grants to individuals is determined by a person’s income.

For instance, a person with taxable income under $5,000 per year can get a 100 percent grant, and a person with taxable income between $20,000 and $30,000 per year can get a grant of up to 50 percent. People with taxable income of more than $40,000 are not eligible for grants.

“I don’t know what is bringing us the luck this year with grant money,” Pelletier said. “It’s just great for our little community.”

Pelletier said they are hoping for a July groundbreaking for the community center-town hall. The town has $20,000 of its 20 percent share in reserve. The 20 percent local share for that project is necessary because municipal offices will be in the building.

The town office is now in Pelletier’s home.

The new building will be similar to the community center-town office at St. John Plantation, also built with CDBG funds.

The town has also acquired a $75,000 loan from the federal Rural Development Agency for the remainder of the local cost. That will be repaid over 15 years.

An architect is working on the plans for the building. The town also is looking for an administrator to oversee the community center building project and the housing rehabilitation project.

Pelletier will be administering the septic system grant.