LCRA, Bluebonnet Electric Co-op award $20,371 grant for St. John Colony Civic Center
New septic system, restrooms will help expand community center’s use
MAY 30, 2024
CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas – The St. John Colony Civic Center soon will have a new septic system and restrooms, thanks to a $20,371 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with about $5,000 in matching funds and in-kind services, will allow St. John 19th Body to install a septic system and high-efficiency water heater, and add restrooms to its 3,600 square-foot multi-use building.
“Trying to raise nearly $10,000 for a septic system is a task,” said Marshall Hill, St. John 19th Body president. “Words don’t explain what it means to also have funds to go inside and finish out restrooms with sinks and a hot water heater. Without help it’d be years before we could make this happen.”
The civic center began as a pavilion to provide relief from the Texas sun during events, but the St. John Colony community soon realized the site could host more social and cultural events. The facility now has walls, insulation, electricity and air conditioning, and includes an open space with a stage and room for a future kitchen and meeting room.
“This community has been talking about this facility for years,” Hill said. “It has been a long time in the making. We have an air-conditioned building for people to get out of the elements. We will have indoor restrooms, with cleaner hygiene facilities for all, especially our elders so they won’t have to use portable restrooms or walk long distances across the site to go to a restroom. This facility will help our community so much.”
Hill said receiving the grant also will increase community involvement in the project as it gets closer to completion.
“Trying to raise enough money to provide the services we do and have money to build was a slow process,” Hill said. “You can only give so much. The community is getting excited again, and with this grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet, there will be even more excitement.”
Hill said he expects the septic system and restrooms to be finished in time for St. John Colony’s Harvest Festival this fall. The civic center also will be available for use on a first-come, first-served basis for celebrations and meetings, and as a voting location.
“If they come with a need to use it, it’s theirs,” Hill said.
The community grant is one of 44 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
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.
About Bluebonnet
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves more than 131,000 meters and owns and maintains 12,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.
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