State funds coming to the valley

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY)-With only a limited amount of funds available from California, grant proposals make a difference.

State officials presented Imperial County with $5 million in grant money to meet the needs of the community Tuesday morning. 

Imperial County Deputy CEO, Esperanza Colio-Warren said, "We really need to make a case. And so what we do is we go to the communities. We meet with the communities, have public hearings with them and listen to what they want to see in the communities."

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia said it's the working relations with state representatives that help secure the funds.

" Identify these funding mechanisms is kind of the first step. The second is getting them to apply and us being able to provide whatever technical assistance they may need to be successful and ultimately make their way to Imperial County."

$500 thousand dollars is going to the city of Brawley for home rehabilitation projects.

Brawley City Council Member, George Nava said, "Brawley is a community that's over 100 years old. So some of the homes, many of the homes, in different parts of the community are very old. So they need desperate improvement. So this allows for some members of the community to apply towards those funds, and see their properties improve."

Over $3 million will help build a new public safety facility in Seely. And $500 thousand will help complete a water treatment center in Palo Verde.

"It prevents them from having any health issues in the future. It's safe for the community so they don't have to boil the water every day to be able to use the water. Cause that was the situation where they were at before," added Colio-Warren.

County officials hope to complete the public facility in Seely within the next two years.