ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — The city of Robertsdale has applied for nearly half a million dollars in federal grant funds to make drainage improvements and sewer rehabilitation.

The project, which will cost an estimated $495,000, will include sanitary sewer rehabilitation and drainage improvements to the west side of the city, including areas of Pennsylvania Street, Nebraska Street, Palmer Street, St. Paul Street and Racine Street.

Sewer rehabilitation improvements call for preliminary inspection and cleaning, 8-inch and 10-inch cured-in-place liner, lateral reinstatement, point repairs, manhole lining and final inspection, with an estimated total cost of $239,100.

Drainage improvements call for drainage ditch improvements and pipe installation, drainage caps, junction boxes and yard inlets with a total cost of $157,350.

“The city is requesting these funds in order to provide sewer rehabilitation in some of the oldest areas of our city where high concentrations of low to moderate income persons reside,” Murphy said in a letter to Kenneth A. Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. “The failing public sewer infrastructure in these neighborhoods is creating a public health hazard and inconveniences for these residents.”

Stacy McKean with Grant Management of Fairhope addressed council members at the Aug. 7 meeting, stating that the council needed to pass three resolutions in order to apply for a $450,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

Resolutions passed unanimously during the Aug. 7 meeting included:

• A resolution authorizing submission of the FY17 CDBG Sewer Rehab Grant.

• A resolution awarding the grant preparation and administration of the grant (if funded) to Grant Management.

• A resolution awarding the engineering services for the grant (if funded) to Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood.