NORTEX to help city with grant

Jacksboro aldermen approved a resolution to work with North Texas Council of Governments (NORTEX) if the city receives a grant as part of the regular Aug. 10 meeting.

NORTEX provided the offer to provide grant application help and general administrative services. The grant, if the city receives it, is for $350,000 to help fund a water, wastewater, streets/roads, or drainage improvement project from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

City Manager Mike Smith said the community development block grant is changing how they score grant applications during the 2021-22 grant process. NORTEX has helped the city with grant apps.

In other news during the 41-minute meeting:

• The city had received an unsolicited bid on dismantling the old softball field so the Back to Space project could continue preliminary work. Smith said the city could do the work themselves, which would potentially take the longest amount of time, let the company do it, or ask for official bids to be submitted since the project would cost more than $50,000.

Back to Space had asked the city to take care of it but Alderman Greg Robinson asked Smith if they might be willing to split the costs on the project. Smith said he would look into it.

Construction on Back to Space was set to begin this month but is now expected to begin in September, Smith said.