Photo courtesy of the City of Warren This is a site plan for the proposed boat launch at the base of Liberty St. in downtown Warren. City council agreed to submit a third grant application for funding for the $2 million project

If at first you don’t succeed….

The Warren City Council on Monday approved a third grant application for the proposed downtown boat launch.

City Engineer Chad Yurisic city staff hope to file a grant with the state Department of Community and Economic Development for a total of $250,000.

Last month, a $1 million grant application to the Fish & Boat Commission was not awarded funding. Yurisic said this DCED grant application falls under the department’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.

The launch is proposed for the southernmost portion of Liberty Street and comes with a total price tag of $2 million.

Yurisic said a 15 percent match is required for the grant application but said one of the parcels the city owns in that area can be used as match.

Councilman Phil Gilbert asked which parcels might be included there.

Yurisic said one of three — one at the absolute base of Liberty Street and two across from Clark Street between the HIY, Inc. building and the parking garage. The specific parcel used, he said, will be the one with the lowest assessed value.

CONTRACT AWARDED FOR COMP PLAN

Council awarded a contract to Mackin Engineering to complete the city’s comprehensive plan.

Vince DeJoy, the city’s planner, said the state awarded a $81,450 grant that required a 10 percent match from the city, bringing total funds for the project to $90,500.

He said Mackin “presented the best product at the lowest price quoted.”

That contract totals $70,400 and DeJoy asked council to consider utilizing the additional $20,000 available to flesh out specific community projects.

Having cost estimates, renderings, drawings and plans will allow the city to submit better grant applications.

Referencing the boat launch, DeJoy said “to be able to take it to that level, (we) need to get these projects to a shovel-ready status.”

That’s what the remaining $20,000 will be used for.

The planning process itself will take two years.