Through multiple grants, the Town of Jay is looking to see some major improvements take place for 2016. Mayor Kurvin Qualls said Jay will have a lot of work in store for the upcoming year while performing water line upgrades, replacing gas and water meters, and revitalizing the town’s livestock facility and Commerce Street.
“We got a over a million dollars worth of work in the works,” Qualls said.
This past year a portion of replacing outdated water lines was completed through attaining a $600,000 grant from the Northwest Florida Water Management District. Qualls said more waterlines can expected to be replaced over the course of next year. Previously, Qualls said some of the water lines within Jay city limits were 50 to 60 years old.
Additional grant funding from a $204,000 dollar grant from the water management district and $200,000 in legislative funding will also be used to replace outdated water lines.
In addition to adding much-needed waterlines, Qualls said the city will also receive new water and gas meters thanks to a recently received Community Development Block Grant worth $600,000.
While the utility improvements may not be visible to the city’s exterior, Jay residents can expect to see changes around town with an upcoming farmer’s market and improvements to Commerce Street.
Qualls said the city recently received a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture which will be used to transform the livestock center into a farmer’s market over the course of next year, which according to Qualls has been a frequent request of Jay citizens.
In addition to allowing residents the opportunity to sell home grown produce and homemade products, Qualls previously said the facility could serve multiple purposes, including being open for community and school functions.
A beautification grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, worth $65,000, will be used to revitalize Commerce Street. The project will include improved street lighting, concrete, asphalt and drainage work. Qualls said a portion of the funding for roadwork on Commerce will come from a city reserve fund.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Over $1M worth of improvements in Jay for 2016