Timm provides updates on grants regarding study

David Timm, a member of the Wittenberg Village Board and the Wittenberg Area Development Committee (WADC), gave an update on the SCEPI housing survey to both panels last week. He addressed a question whether applying for a housing study grant will affect the village’s grant application on a sidewalks project.

At the July 20 Wittenberg Village Board meeting, Timm said that the Wittenberg Area Development Committee will be applying for a grant for the housing development through the Community Development Block Grant PLNG (Planning) program.

“We wanted to know if that grant will have a conflict of interest with the grant for the sidewalks,” Timm said.

Timm said that he got into contact with Peter Thillman, the chief economic development officer of Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. (SCEPI), who in turn got into contact with Art Bahr, a grant writer for MSA Professional Services, one of the companies that is running the housing study in Wittenberg.

According to Timm, Bahr got into contact with Department of Administration for clarification on the question.

“Their response was a confirmation that the PLNG application will not affect the current PFF application and the funding for both could occur if rewarded,” said Timm, quoting Bahr.

Timm also said that he saw an email from Angela Davis, an employee with the DOA, clarifying that both applications are valid.

“I am not saying that it is 100%,” said Timm. “But we did have high up people check. There sounds like there will be no problems with these grants.”

At the WADC meeting on July 23, Timm said Thillman put in an application for a grant for Tigerton, Wittenberg and the surrounding areas to help run the housing survey. He repeated what he told the village board, that the applications will not cancel each other out.

“We are good to go and we can apply for both grants,” said Timm.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com