Grants awarded to Apalachicola, Apalachee Regional Planning Council

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Governor Ron DeSantis announced nearly $1.5 million in awards to communities with community planning projects and some of that money will be coming to our area.

Through the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF), Apalachicola will get $147,000 to evaluate the existing water supply and treatment facilities and provide alternatives and recommendations to improve the city’s potable water quality.

Through the Community Planning Technical Assistance (CPTA) program, the following grants were given:

Apalachee Regional Planning Council ($56,000) – to initiate a regional broadband planning project to unify and guide broadband planning and implementation efforts in Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla Counties.
City of Apalachicola ($75,000) – to develop Phase 2 of the Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern Work Plan, and update the city’s local Comprehensive Plan to make required statutory changes and address resiliency changes.

Money for these programs is allocated by Florida lawmakers. According to the governor’s office, the CPTA grants allow counties, cities, and regional planning councils to plan and develop strategies for economic development, protecting environmentally sensitive areas, and assist with disaster recovery and resiliency planning. RIF grants facilitate the planning, preparing, and financing of infrastructure projects in rural commuities that will encourage job creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of rural economies.