The Town of Culver is ready to retool and continue pushing forward following the announcement they are a Stellar Communities Finalist.
The state program helps communities with planning for grant applications and additional funding sources. By developing a projects list and ways to help meet matching requirements, the state will provide assistance for identifying applicable grants and providing aid throughout the application process for those funds.
Culver Town Manager Jonathan Leist says the community has entered a new phase of planning for the Stellar Communities designation.
“Hopefully when we have a site visit in July, the whole town will be living, breathing, and eating Stellar,” says Leist. “So a lot of work to do between now and then, but it was exciting to at least make the finalists, there were only three in our division.”
The other two finalists are Union City and Corydon in the small population category.
As part of being name a finalist, Culver will receive $10-thousand to help finalize their planning. A steering committee is aiding in the application process and hopes to create more “buy-in” from the community.
One of the items Leist identified as needing improvements with Culver’s application is its financial plan to implement the projects over the next five years or so.
Leist says that as things stand, several resources are available to assist with that process.
“As the plan was that was submitted in March, that number would only have to be $875-thousand over four years and have the council basically either put it in minutes or a resolution that we’re committing this amount to Stellar if awarded,” says Leist.
A finalist dinner will be held later this year in Indianapolis to announce the winner.
Culver will submit its updated plans for the Stellar Communities designation by July 1st.
