City to apply for block grant

By Melinda L. Lucas

Lynsi Musselman was appointed to the Albany city council at their regular December meeting on Monday, Dec. 14.

Musselman will fill the remaining months of Carolyn Waller’s term, serving under the appointment until May 2021.

Waller, whose resignation was accepted in November, died last week after a brief illness. She had been a city council member for nine years.

Albany mayor Susan Montgomery expressed condolences to Waller’s family, as well as for the family of city employee David Thompson, who also died last week.

Grant Application

Morgan Jimenez, an assistant project manager with Public Management, explained the city’s changes of obtaining a Texas Community Development Block Grant.

Monday’s meeting was advertised as a public hearing for the grant application, but no one from the general public was present.

Criteria for the block grants has been revised for this application, and both Jimenez and city manager Billy Holson feel that the city has much better odds of receiving funding than in the past.

Grants range from $75,000 to $350,000, with a 10 percent match from the city.

No action was required to proceed with the application.