Towns’ partnership has $4 million payoff

ST. AGATHA – The number four has become quite significant to St. Agatha and Frenchville.

Four years ago, the two towns joined hands to form a regional office of community development.

Since then, they’ve secured a host of grants – $4 million worth, to be exact.

Officials from both St. John Valley towns spread word of the accomplishment on Monday, just a few days after the towns reached the milestone of securing $4 million through state and federal grants.

One of the keys to the success of the partnership between St. Agatha and Frenchville has been Paul Bernier, a former small-business owner from Frenchville who serves as the joint community development director.

Since his hiring, he has worked aggressively to reel in cash for the two municipalities.

“We have been eyeing the $4 million mark for a few months and wondered when it would happen,” Bernier said in a written statement. “I am pleased that to date this office has managed to successfully bring $4,061,725.68 to the two communities of Frenchville and St. Agatha.”

Last week, the office was notified of a $136,000 Community Development Block Grant for the Cleveland Road-Pelletier Island sewer extension project in St. Agatha.

The funding will be used to assist low-income individuals with the expense of connecting their homes to the new sewer line.

That award helped the towns reach the $4 million milestone.

Ryan Pelletier, the town manager of St. Agatha, said Monday that partnering on a regional community development office was new territory for both towns.

“We didn’t know where we would end up, but we felt it was worth a try to convince our elected officials and the general public that teaming up would be beneficial to both towns,” he said. “I feel good that this experiment has worked and has provided the results that it has to date.”

“It was a gamble that paid off,” said Frenchville Town Manager Phil Levesque. “We had to convince our two boards of selectmen, the budget committee members and ultimately the voters of both towns at town meeting, but they were all very supportive and willing to give it a try. We could not have gotten this off the ground if we didn’t have the local support that we did.”

To date, Bernier has penned grant applications to secure funding for septic system replacement projects, recreational trail grants, economic development projects and even a grant to improve workplace safety.

In 2005, Bernier was named the top CDBG grant administrator by Jack Cashman, the former commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

To him, Bernier said, grant writing is a lot like fishing.

“The funding possibilities out there are endless,” said the avid ice fisherman.

“We don’t always get every grant that we submit,’ he continued, “but we keep trying … The secret is to be patient and persistent. Eventually it will pay off.”

Both town managers said that municipal officials in different parts of the state have contacted the regional community development office to find out how these towns came together to make the initiative work.