BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- The town of Massena's grant writer is hoping one senator's push for appropriated funding will land the town enough funds for a new highway department garage.

According to Linda McQuinn, the town's grant writer, $3.72 million has been requested for the garage as part of the fiscal year 2025 Senate Appropriations Agriculture and Rural Development Bill. The application was originally submitted through Senator Kristen Gillibrand, she said.

McQuinn said the application, which was submitted in February, is part of the first round of Congressionally directed spending initiative with Gillibrand, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

Those funds could prove crucial to funding the project, she said.

“The application was uploaded through their various websites. We have heard back from Sen. Gillibrand," McQuinn said.

She said the application is the first in many steps required as part of the overall process.

"Lest we forget, this is a federal initiative, so it’s going to take some time to move through the pipeline to make sure that everyone is on board with this," she said.

McQuinn said with the project on the Senator's list, they will now move onto the next steps of the process.

Also on the list is a proposal from the Massena Electric Department to fund the removal and replacement of ash trees affected by emerald ash borers, as well as a child care center at SUNY Canton.

McQuinn said she hopes to hear something this summer about the applications' statuses, saying it was a very competitive process.

She said she expects Gillibrand to advocate strongly for the project, with the Senate Appropriations Committee ultimately deciding on what projects to select for approval.

If the applications are successful at that point, McQuinn said, the projects would then ultimately be voted on for approval through an appropriations bill process. If successful, the funding agency will contact the applicants to complete the process.

But McQuinn preached patience, noting that the federal government can be slow in many facets, especially when it comes to appropriations bills.

“It’s very competitive, so we’re not sure that we’re going to make it through the next steps in the process. But, we’re certainly hopeful because the application demonstrated a real need that the town has for a new highway garage for their staff. This is something that’s been ongoing for a very long time,” McQuinn said.