AUSTIN, Texas – The Lower Colorado River Authority recently awarded close to $550,000 in Community Development Partnership Program grants for community projects within LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas.
The CDPP grants helped fund 25 projects that range from buying new vehicles and upgraded equipment for first responders to making improvements at city parks and school playgrounds to renovating much-used community buildings.
Other grants will help provide for a regional firefighter training facility in Caldwell County; electrical upgrades, a renovated kitchen and expanded bathrooms at the Mills County Civic Center in Goldthwaite; a new chassis for an aging brush truck used by the Christoval Volunteer Fire Department; and completion of the initial phase of a Veterans Honor Park in Giddings.
“As Texans move forward from the pandemic, we know that many communities and organizations are eager to resume important projects that might have been put on hold, and we want to contribute to those efforts,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said.
Wilson said LCRA is particularly proud CDPP grants are able to assist so many volunteer fire departments and other first responders.
“The new gear and equipment bought with these grants will help safeguard the first responders who help protect all of us,” Wilson said.
To date, LCRA has awarded 1,820 community grants totaling more than $47 million. When combined with more than $227 million in community-raised matching funds, the program has invested almost $275 million in local communities.
CDPP grants are awarded twice a year for capital projects for volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, cities and counties, schools, libraries, civic groups, museums and other non-profit organizations. Applications for the next round of grants will be available at lcra.org/cdpp on July 1 and are due by midnight on July 31.
The 25 grants awarded in the most recent grant cycle are:
• BANDERA COUNTY: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Bandera Electric Cooperative to the Medina Volunteer Fire Department for new life-saving medical equipment and a digital sign that can share emergency alerts and community messages.
• BRENHAM: An $8,445 grant from LCRA and the City of Brenham to the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County for a new air-conditioning unit.
• BRONTE: A $19,690 grant from LCRA to the Bronte Volunteer Fire Department for three new self-contained breathing units that will protect firefighters from inhaling smoke and carcinogenic particles at the site of emergencies.
• CALDWELL: A $16,499 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Beaver Creek Volunteer Fire Department for new emergency gear, including self-contained breathing units and portable water tanks for use in fighting grass or brush fires.
• CALDWELL COUNTY: A $20,000 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the McMahan Volunteer Fire Department for new metal siding on its station, which houses a fire engine, three brush trucks and a rescue truck.
• CALDWELL COUNTY: A $50,000 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Caldwell County Fire Chiefs Association for construction of a regional firefighter training facility.
• CHRISTOVAL: A $25,000 grant from LCRA to the Christoval Volunteer Fire Department for a new truck chassis that will update and improve an aging vehicle used for fighting wildfires.
• COTTONWOOD SHORES: A $22,235 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the City of Cottonwood Shores for new playground equipment, additional parking and other improvements at a city park.
• ELLINGER: An $18,300 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the newly incorporated City of Ellinger for a portable building that will serve as its first city hall.
• GIDDINGS: A $24,600 grant from LCRA and the City of Giddings to the Lee County Texas Veterans Association for completion of the first phase of a Veterans Honor Park.
• GOLDTHWAITE: A $50,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Goldthwaite to the Goldthwaite Consolidated Independent School District for major improvements at the Mills County Civic Center, the site of many community and school-related events.
• HIGHLAND HAVEN: An $8,000 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the City of Highland Haven for repairs at City Hall, including replacing the roof and installing new gutters.
• LA GRANGE: A $20,000 grant from LCRA to the City of La Grange for a canopy and fabric sails to help shade the playground at the city’s popular Randolph Park.
• LAMPASAS COUNTY: An $11,351 grant from LCRA and Hamilton County Electric Cooperative to the Adamsville Community Center for additional restrooms, barbecue pits, and outdoor seating.
• LEE COUNTY: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the South Lee County Volunteer Fire Department for a new reinforced concrete parking lot and the addition of parking spots for disabled visitors.
• LULING: A $25,000 grant from LCRA and the City of Luling to the Luling Volunteer Fire Department for a standby generator and new self-contained breathing apparatuses that meet National Fire Protection Association standards.
• MANCHACA: A $3,065 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to Manchaca United Methodist Church for new LED floodlights at a covered outdoor community basketball court.
• MARTINDALE: A $19,583 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to Martindale Volunteer Fire and Rescue for a utility terrain vehicle to transport patients and aid in river rescues.
• PALACIOS: A $23,000 grant from LCRA to the City of Palacios for renovations to the storm-damaged gazebo, lighting and trellises in the city’s Main Street Park.
• RICHLAND SPRINGS: A $25,000 grant from LCRA to the Richland Springs Independent School District for new playground equipment, including wheelchair-accessible swings.
• ROUND TOP: A $19,848 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the town of Round Top for new energy-efficient lighting on its historic town hall and in the nearby public square.
• SAN SABA: A $10,315 grant from LCRA to Keep San Saba Beautiful for the completion of a series of terraces in Mill Pond Park to lessen erosion around the popular gazebo and make the area safer for visitors.
• SANTA ANNA: A $35,000 grant from LCRA to the Santa Anna Independent School District for new, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant playground equipment on the district’s elementary school campus.
• SCHULENBURG: A $19,512 grant from LCRA and the City of Schulenburg to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Champion Valley for restroom renovations, including new low-flow toilets and energy-efficient lighting.
• TRAVIS COUNTY: A $25,000 grant from LCRA to Friends of Manda School for fresh paint and exterior repairs for a historic two-room schoolhouse that now serves as a community center near Manor.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.
Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org
