Butler County commissioners have secured grant money to complete a paving project in Rombauer over the summer.
The gravel streets of Chestnut, Erb and Blumeyer will be paved, along with sections of Coombs and College streets, officials said. A 2-inch overlay will also be completed along Hidden Street.
The county will receive approximately $171,000 from the Missouri Department of Economic Development Community Block Development Grant program for the project. About $52,400 of in-kind work will also be completed by county workers to correct roadside drainage.
The county began working on this project more than a year ago, said Boots LeGrand, western district commissioner.
The grant awards a specific amount per household, LeGrand explained.
It can only be used in areas with a high percent of low-to-moderate income, which is why it cannot be applied in all areas of the county, LeGrand said.
Grant documents show the project will impact about 113 people, of which more than 89 percent have low-to-moderate income.
The threshold for this grant is at least 85 percent, LeGrand said.
The county has looked at other areas for similar projects, he continued. Commissioners say they found either the income level did not meet requirements or there were too few homes to reach the amount needed for a project.
These projects do away with dusty gravel roads and commissioners would like to do more, but the grant money is limited, according to Butch Anderson, eastern district commissioner.
It is important to seek out the dollars whenever possible, LeGrand added.
"You're absolutely not going to get them if you don't try," he said.
Grants applications were completed with the assistance of the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission.
Grant documents show a 3-inch compacted base will be constructed to increase the stability of the roads, along with paving.
Shoulders and side road ditches will be created to provide proper drainage, and areas will be seeded to prevent further erosion.
Gravel surfacing will be added to the remaining gravel streets, with crown and surface drainage corrections.
The project is expected to be put out for bid in the next month, according to the planning commission.