Cherokee County has received $300,000 in grant funds for the Pemco sewer and water expansion project.

During Monday's meeting of the Cherokee County Commission, Chairman Kirk Day read a letter from Gov. Bob Riley advising the county that it will receive the grant funds. The commission met with ADECA officials a few months ago to begin the process of securing the money for the project.

“I am pleased to inform you that the state is reserving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to assist in the expansion of Pemco Corporation by providing funds for water and sewer facilities,” said Gov. Riley in a letter to Day.

“For this project, $300,000 in economic development funds has been reserved."

Pemco announced in August it planned to close its Baltimore operations and expand its Leesburg plant. The company's headquarters also will be in Leesburg.



Company officials said they were impressed with the work force in Cherokee County and that consolidating operations in Leesburg would make the company more efficient.

“We are very pleased for the community to get that,” said Day of the grant. “That is a rather large CDBG Grant. So we are certainly happy about that for the community.”

The commission received some other good news as well.

Alabama Secretary of State Nancy Worley informed the commission that it would soon receive its reimbursement funds for making changes to local polling places to bring them into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Act.

The Cherokee County Commission approved and made these changes prior to the primary election this past summer. Cherokee County’s portion was $144,600.



Cherokee County will receive the full amount, said County Administrator Tim Burgess. assis