Seguin to soon begin formulating a PLAN for SAFER roadways

City awarded Safe Streets and Roads federal grant

(Seguin) -- The city of Seguin is one of only 510 communities across the nation that will soon benefit from a grant aimed at keeping our local roadways safe.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently announced the recipients of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) federal grant program. As a recipient, the city of Seguin will receive $265,200 to create the required Action Plan.

City officials say The Safe Streets and Roads for All awards funding works to assist communities that do not have a roadway safety plan -- offering them an opportunity to develop an Action Plan that prevents roadway fatalities and serious injury.

In fact, the number of fatalities in a community plays an important factor in being awarded the grant. That’s according to Kathy Wood, the grants administrator for the city of Seguin.

“We also had to report our fatality information in order to get this grant and the city of Seguin I believe because of the I10 and the other interstates that cross it, we have 12.2 deaths per 100,000 which are also rather high so Seguin was a great candidate to get the funding,” said Wood.

Wood says securing this grant only provides the community with the tools and resources to better keep drivers safe and ensures the increased safety of all those who utilize the local roadways.

“We are really excited about it because it’s a federal grant that is highly competitive and the city of Seguin is just perfect as far as the intersection of our growth and our roads and how we do need some major planning and guidance and it’s just a really good time to bring into the community and all the users of our roads and highways that run through Seguin as to what they would like to see,” said Wood.

With the award in hand, the city’s capital projects and engineering department will now be responsible for creating a task force that combines expert analysis and community input toward building a framework for future roadway development. Roads, pg. 3

Roads, continued.

“We’re looking at getting an analysis of our existing city codes and development codes and finding out from the community how we can work together to build this master thoroughfare plan that will not only help vehicles but also pedestrians, bicyclists -- this could be around schools, this could just be on the trailways next to the highways and roads. What do our residents envision our city looking like and how can the city today take actions to plan for that future growth and what our residents would like to see our city look like?” said Wood.

City officials say Seguin’s Action Plan will align with the U.S Department of Transportation’s values of equity, climate and sustainability, quality job creation, economic strength and global competitiveness.

They say the department plans to engage with the community to build a low-cost, high-impact structure that is specific to the needs and safety of the Seguin community.

Wood says the project has an estimated timeline of 12 to 24 months. The initial steps, however, in getting started are slated to begin in the next three to six months. City officials say the public is encouraged to be on the lookout for future input opportunities. They say all suggestions will be considered in hopes of better accommodating and protecting the users of all of the city’s transportation system.

CCSCT, continued.

“...those guidelines, we can provide assistance with either one of those utility types. We also have the water program that is new and ends September 30th. If there is a priority household member which is an elderly person, a senior 60 or older, someone with a disability or anyone with children five and under, they receive assistance for the full 12 months or up to 12 months from whenever they apply. If they don’t have one of those priority members, then they only receive up to six months of assistance,” said Delgado.

Delgado says the CCSCT has also added a new utility service to the list. She says this year, the program will assist with water bills through LIHWAP (Low Income Water Assistance Program).

Delgado explains how important this message is for local families.

“It’s extremely important. We can pay past due bills. So, if they have $5,000 in past due and they have a disconnection notice, we can pay all of that $5,000 and get them caught up as long as it is for water and sewer. If they get disconnected, then we can help them get reconnected and then with the new program, they made changes this year so we can pay $85 a month towards their future bills at one time so they will have a large credit on their water bill that will hopefully last them through

September,” said Delgado.

Applicants are also reminded that they must attach their current water bill and billing history to their Utility Assistance application to apply for water bill assistance.

In addition, all eligible applicants or households may qualify for HVAC appliance heating and cooling repairs for up to $7,500.

At this moment, CCSCT officials say the application processing volume is high and turnaround is taking a little longer than normal. They say due to this high demand, they humbly request their client’s patience but ask that they hurry into their office or jump online to begin the application process.

Delgado says these types of resources are vital for local families and encourages folks to take advantage of them if they can.

“Tell a friend. We have a lot of money to spend especially on the water program by September,” said Delgado.

Applications can be picked up at the local CCSCT located at 205 N. King St. Clients are asked to call in advance for designated pick-up days. That office number is 830379-3022. They may also download a copy of the application at www. ccsct.org under utility assistance. Only complete applications with all necessary documents will be processed.

In 2022 alone, the CCSCT assisted over 14,200 families across its 22-county service area with an investment of $12 million in utility assistance.

CCSCT is a non-profit community action agency that empowers vulnerable families and individuals in the greater South Central Texas area to achieve selfsufficiency by eliminating barriers through innovative programs and strong community partnerships.