08/08/2026
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ง ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐.
I see a lot of conversations about what Ackerman ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ look like, and I love dreaming about that too. โค๏ธ But I also want people to know that there is already a great deal of real planning and groundwork happening behind the scenes for the future of our town.
About six months ago, I sat down with our City Works Director and our engineer to take a serious look at our infrastructure needs. We talked about what is most urgent, what needs to be prioritized, what we can realistically accomplish, and probably most importantly where we can find funding to help us pay for it.
๐ง๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
๐ญ. ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
We need to replace our water meters because of faulty meters and the ongoing problem of meters breaking and needing repairs. This is something we need to address systematically rather than continuing to spend money fixing the same problems over and over.
๐ฎ. ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
This is a much bigger issue.
๐๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐จ. The erosion we're seeing today didn't happen overnight. These are problems that have developed over many, many years.
And while cutting back overgrowth, clearing brush and keeping our waterways maintained is absolutely necessary and something we should continue doingโฆ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ข.
We have to address the drainage system itself and the erosion that has been allowed to progress over many decades.
This is the kind of project that could cost millions of dollars, and that is simply not something a small town like Ackerman can fund on its own.
That is why we're looking at opportunities through agencies like the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS has programs that provide technical and financial assistance to eligible local governments and other sponsors for watershed projects involving things like flood prevention, watershed protection, erosion and sediment control, water management and water quality. Their programs can help communities develop a watershed plan and then pursue funding to actually implement the solutions.
And this is important: ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐๐ง๐จ.
There is planning. Engineering. Feasibility work. Eligibility requirements. Local sponsorship. Cost-sharing. Permits. And funding cycles.
NRCS itself describes watershed projects as a process that begins with a local sponsor requesting assistance and developing a preliminary feasibility study before a watershed plan can be approved and the project can move toward implementation.
Even grant applications have specific funding cycles and ranking periods. NRCS accepts many applications year-round, but applications generally need to meet the applicable state ranking date to be considered for that particular funding cycle.
This is why the planning has to happen now.
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ% ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ.
I've talked about this before, but I think it's important to understand the bigger picture.
We need to finish the Sportsplex. We need to get our existing grant obligations back into compliance. And we need to put the Town in the strongest possible position to pursue the infrastructure funding that we desperately need.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐
๐ถ๐๐ป'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น. ๐๐'๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป.
Getting that project completed and our grant situation resolved allows us to move forward instead of having unfinished business standing in the way of future opportunities.
Then we can keep working on the things that really matter to the everyday lives of our citizens; water, drainage, streets, infrastructure and making Ackerman a stronger, healthier town for the long term.
I wish I could show everyone everything that is being discussed, researched and planned behind the scenes. Some of these things take months or longer to develop before there is anything exciting to show the public.
But please know this:
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป'๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป.
We're identifying the problems.
We're prioritizing them.
We're talking to the people who can help us solve them.
We're researching funding.
We're planning ahead.
And we're doing it with the goal of making the most of every dollar available to Ackerman.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐. ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ป๐ผ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐. โค๏ธ๐ป
P.S. And just so we're clearโฆ our ditches have never looked like those AI-generated photos you may have seen floating around. ๐ Those are someoneโs vision of what they ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ look like. But with the right planning, engineering and grant funding, ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฎโ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐ผ๐-๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ. Maybe that means beautifully maintained grassy channels, maybe it means concrete or other engineered solutions in certain areas. ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐จ, ๐ฌ๐'๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐. ๐๐'๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข. ๐๐ปโค๏ธ
