Town of Sparta is selected to take part in STEP program

The Town of Sparta has been selected to participate in the North Carolina Small Towns Economic Prosperity Demonstration Program (NC STEP), a three-year demonstration designed to spur economic activity in small towns through a program of strategic resource investments. The news of the selection was announced during the Town of Sparta’s monthly meeting March 7.

Town Manager Bryan Edwards, Mayor John Miller and Patrick Woodie with New River Community Partners went to the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh March 8 and 9, where they took part in the Rural Center’s press announcements and an orientation to the STEP program.

“On Thursday, they’re going to have recognition and go over this program in Raleigh,” Edwards said. “On Friday, there’s a workshop that will lay out more information about the program. I think this is very good for the town.”

The town is initially slated to receive $20,000 in planning funds to develop initiatives.

“Over a three-year period, there’s up to $200,000 that we can acquire with a dollar-for-dollar match,” Edwards said. “A lot of those dollars, we’re going to be investing anyway. Some of these projects are already in the thought process.”

According to information presented by Edwards, 19 other small towns were selected to participate as individual demonstration sites. They are Candor, Columbia, Grifton, Marion, Marshall, Maxton, Mount Gilead, Pinetops, Plymouth, Robbins, Scotland Neck, Swan Quarter, Valdese and Yanceyville.

Each of the 20 participating towns will receive training and coaching assistance and will have opportunities for global networking during the program’s three-year plan of work, according to information from the Rural Center. As the towns develop and begin their projects, they will receive one-on-one assistance from community development specialists, as well as receive training in workshops ranging from historic preservation to financial and infrastructure issues.

CDBG Update

Per the direction of the council, Edwards is to look into pursuing additional funding for the U.S. 21 water and sewer line extension from the Rural Center. Should the council opt for additional funding, the application would be due to the Rural Center by March 31.

“That would tie in very nicely with the project,” said Edwards. “Our goal right now is to have the water in place by July and the total project complete by December.”

On March 7, Edwards, Kevin Heath of Adams Heath Engineering and Jason Vance of High Country Council of Governments met with Clint Bedsaul and Daryl Blevins of TruLine Truss to begin reviewing the preliminary design of the water and sewer line extension project on U.S. 21. Edwards pointed out he has learned of those expressing interest in hooking into the extension of the water and sewer lines.

“I believe there are other potential development activities along 21 south,” he said.

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