Friday, October 4, 2024
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Spencer Receives Grants For UT Extension, Downtown Improvements

Spencer aldermen accepted two grants during their Thursday meeting, including a Three Star grant designed to revitalize the Spencer downtown.

Spencer Mayor Alisa Farmer said the community will create a strategic plan to improve tourism, marketing, and the small business development of Spencer’s downtown.

“I wasn’t expected to get awarded that because I just really hurriedly put something together, and it was accepted,” Farmer said. “So, with the being said, I just need permission to go forward with this so that we can start looking at our downtown revitalization and seeing what we can do to bring life back to Spencer.”

The second grant, also worth $25,000, will be used to install a commercial kitchen at the UT Extension barn facility. Farmer said the commercial kitchen will allow extension agent to offer citizens more classes such as canning.

“I literally had less than a day to get this together, so we just kind of threw it together to say that we applied, you know?” Farmer said. “And we were very – both of us very thankful we got it.”

Farmer said she was unsure as to whether the city or the UT Extension will be handling the bidding process for the industrial kitchen.

“I just don’t know a whole lot of details as far as administration,” Farmer said. “I just know that both grants is going to be coming through here.”

In other business, the aldermen approved a new policy that will require citizens to pay $500 for the installation or replacement of a culvert on their property. The expense was previously covered by the city.

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