PIERCETON - The town of Pierceton was recently granted a $600,000 grant to improve water in the town.
Operating under a tight deadline, the town set up a meeting Feb. 28 to discuss taking Tax Increment Finance money to match the grant.
The state gave out $13.8 million in grants for projects to improve water quality as well as drainage.
Engineering for the project has to be out to bid by June 30.
The council also approved allowing Council President Jerry Kreger and Clerk-Treasurer Janet Castle to sign documents regarding block grant agreements.
Pierceton received its census numbers recently.
The 2010 Census shows the town has 1,015 residents. That's up from 695 in 2000. While that is a sizable increase, the council attributed it to errors made by census workers in 2000 failing to count homes with post office boxes.
In 1990, Pierceton's population was 1,030.
Pierceton Town Marshal Tim Sammons gave a rundown of grants his department recently received.
One was for $2,700 from KCODE to provide funding for the DARE program at Pierceton Elementary.
Sammons thanked KCODE for the grant and said because of it, all classroom and graduation supplies, as well as awards, will be paid for without any cost being passed on to parents or the school.
The department also received $1,725 for a TruSpeed Laser.
Sammons said the laser not only registers speed but can measure distances, which will help in accident reconstructions.
Sammons said that grants of these kind are becoming more competitive.
This year's DARE program at Pierceton Elementary starts in March and will run through May.
Pierceton Town Council members are Kreger, Jerry Hartman and Mandy Espinoza.
The council meets the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m.
The council meets at the Pierceton Community Building.
