Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Missed deadline costs county security dollars

From: "marcel_rf1" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 07 Jul 2003 09:13:11 -0000

Missed deadline costs county security dollars

By Michael Wright
The Facts

Published June 27, 2003

ANGLETON - Brazoria County officials missed a filing
deadline for grants intended to help finance home
security measures, but believe they will cash in on the
second round.

Brazoria County was not on the list of 733 cities and
counties in Texas that will share $84.2 million to buy
anti-terrorism equipment and finance homeland security
planning.

"We didn't get our application finished," said Rick Perry,
the county's emergency management coordinator.

"We just got behind."

Brazoria County Judge John Willy said the county's
application for a second round of grants, due at the end
of July, is already prepared.

"We will still be able to get what we will qualify for,"
Willy said.

Kent Burkett, the chief administrator to Willy, organized
a workshop Thursday with five Brazoria County cities
that also didn't get grants.

"Steps are being taken to ensure that we will be getting
homeland security funding," Burkett said. "I would hope
that we would be approved for upwards of a
quarter-million dollars."

Willy said the 162-page application overwhelmed some
cities, which decided the paperwork wasn't worth it.
Freeport ($225,438), Manvel ($42,106) and Pearland
($138,096) are the only Brazoria County cities to get
grants in the first round.

"I was very upset to find that our names were not on
there," Willy said.

The grants are federal money administered by the Texas
Engineering Extension Service.

Cities and counties assess their needs and their
inventory and submit that to the state. Cities can then
get online to choose what equipment they want.

The state will make the payments.

Burkett said a grant consultant from Motorola, which
supplies radio equipment to the county, is helping with
the second round of grants.

"We want to assist the cities in obtaining their fair
shares," Burkett said.

Michael Wright covers Brazoria County government for
The Facts. Contact him at (979) 265-7411, Ext. 280.

http://www.thefacts.com/story.lasso?wcd=8790

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