Scottville needs to make city hall ADA compliant, upgrade water mains

SCOTTVILLE – Scottville’s city hall will be getting some more improvements in the near future. In order for the city to receive any more grants or loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program, it must upgrade city hall so it meets the guidelines of Americans with Disabilities Act.

The USDA provides grants and low interest loans for a variety of projects. For instance, the city just received a grant that offset a major portion of a new police car. The city also needs funding help of the USDA to upgrade its water mains.

“Most of our water mains are in excess of 50-years-old,” city manager Amy Williams said. A recent water reliability study noted water lines and some other work needs to be done to the city’s water system.

“Right now the USDA has loan rates in the 2 percent or lower range and we need to start the application work with them to lock in those rates,” Williams said.

Williams said she has set aside $10,000 for city hall upgrades in the 2013-2014 budget. This number won’t be definite until bids come in though. She said only areas that are accessed by the public need to be ADA compliant. This includes first floor doors, hallways and a restroom. The second floor, however, does not need to be upgraded at this time.

Accessibility to the second floor banquet hall, via an elevator, is one of the goals outlined in the city’s new master plan. The area hasn’t been used in over 30 years.