Craig Howell FUNDS COMING? – Follansbee Mayor Scott McMahon, during Monday’s meeting, announced three ongoing projects in the city may be in line for federal appropriations, after submitting several requests to West Virginia’s Congressional delegation.

FOLLANSBEE – Several long-awaited projects in the city could be getting a lift from the federal government.

“We’re received some really good news,” announced Mayor Scott McMahon during Monday’s Committee as a Whole meeting of Follansbee Council.

In recent months, the city has submitted requests for federal funding for several community improvement projects, communicating with the offices of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, and U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, all R-W.Va.

“We submitted one to just about 80% of the committees,” he said of the federal grant requests to various Congressional funding programs.

McMahon noted the city had received updates in the last few days from Capito’s staff of at least three funding awards designated to be included in the appropriations process, with bills needing to be approved by Congress for the funding to be awarded officially.

The first is for $299,000 to assist with the repair or replacement of more than 40 fire hydrants in the city.

A second appropriation would award the city $666,000 to allow the city to update the fleet of the Follansbee Police Department. McMahon said officials had estimated the funds would assist with the purchase of outfitting of six police vehicles.

The third anticipated award – for approximately $1.444 million – would allow for the replacement of street lights in the city.

The need for upgrades and repairs to the street lights, especially along Main Street, has been part of discussions by city officials in recent years, with temporary solar lights used in some areas of the city’s downtown until a permanent solution was found.

“We’re very excited,” McMahon said, noting the city should receive confirmation of the funding sometime in the late summer or early fall, once the appropriations process is set to be completed. “These are three pressing issues.”

The mayor noted he has not yet heard anything from Moore’s or Justice’s staffs, and there is the possibility of additional funding requests being fulfilled as the federal appropriations process moves forward.