The Trump Administration, along with Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Missouri Jeff Case, recently announced that the USDA is investing $612,400 to modernize maintenance and public safety equipment for several rural northeast Missouri communities.
- The city of Edina received a $74,000 grant to purchase a four-wheel drive backhoe loader; the city’s 1994 model is no longer economically feasible to maintain. City personnel will use the backhoe to maintain and repair streets and water lines and complete other maintenance projects.
- The city of Lancaster received an $18,400 grant to replace an aging, unreliable law enforcement patrol vehicle with a newer model. The purchase will aid law enforcement personnel in providing reliable, efficient public safety services for this small rural town.
- The city of Queen City will use $180,700 in grant funds to replace an aging utility truck with a newer model including a dump bed, snowplow attachment, and grapple bucket attachment. The city will also purchase a backhoe, which it currently does not own, with an angle sweeper attachment. Purchasing this equipment will assist city personnel to prepare streets for upcoming paving projects, address maintenance issues more efficiently, and ultimately allow Queen City to better deliver these essential community services.
In related news, the city of Memphis will use a $21,000 Community Facilities Grant to purchase two dump trucks. The trucks will replace two aging models that experience frequent mechanical issues and are cost prohibitive to repair. City personnel use dump trucks to maintain and repair streets, service water lines, provide snow removal, and perform other services for more than 1,800 Memphis citizens.
