Grant money will be well spent

It's easy to get cynical about grants.

Sometimes it seems that the possibility of "free money" sets the agenda, so that projects are pursued simply because grants could pick up the tab.

But used properly, federal grants can be a huge bonus for local units of government trying to make things happen with limited financial resources.

The key is for local government to set the agenda first, figuring out what needs to be done, then going after funding sources, rather than the other way around.

That's the case with the latest Community Focus Fund grant to be awarded to the city of Portland.

The grant - totaling $600,000 - will fund work to separate storm and sanitary sewers in an area known as the Steen Addition, near Boundary Pike's intersection with Floral Avenue.

Like most small towns, Portland has miles of combined sewers.

When you flush a toilet, the waste goes through the same sewer system that handles storm water runoff.

And when there's a heavy rain, the system becomes overloaded, leading to overflows that pollute nearby streams and ditches.

The goal, over time, will be to separate the two parts of the system, so that storm water and human waste won't be combined.

But a complete separation of the system in Portland would be incredibly expensive.

The best solution available - the one the city has focused on - is a neighborhood by neighborhood approach, seeking federal grant assistance whenever possible to help make the job affordable.

The Steen Addition, which has had a long history of problems after heavy rains, is one of those neighborhoods.

The federal grant dollars are, of course, not "free."

They're our tax dollars, but when they come back to us in a thoughtful and targeted way, they amount to money well spent. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]