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Salem Officials Need Residents To Take Survey

Last updated on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

(SALEM) - Some City of Salem and Washington Township residents are receiving phone calls seeking demographic information as part of an income survey the city needs to apply for a grant.

Stephanie Taylor Ferriell of the Leader-Democrat reports that Mayor David Bower says the grant application - for $500,000 to rehab water tanks - is in jeopardy because residents aren't responding to survey requests.

Paula Hartwell of Administrative Resources association, the Columbus company assisting the city with the grant application, says the information gathered will only be used for the survey application. She stressed no names or identifying information is included.

Residents will be asked a few short questions, including information about number of residents in the household, income, head of household and if anyone living there is disabled.

If an adequate number of residents aren't reached by phone, Bower says, a survey will be mailed to residents. And if that doesn't work, the last resort is going door to door. But with each measure, the city's costs increase.

The city must verify that at least 56 percent of respondents are low to moderate income in order to qualify for the grant. The deadline for the proposal is March 22.

If approved, the city will use the $500,000 to refurbish its five water tanks. Stephen Tolliver Sr. of Aqua Utility Services, which manages the city's water services, says the project will include draining the tanks, cleaning them out, repainting them inside and out and repairing

The city will know by Aug. 31 whether it will receive the grant and the project would begin in 2014.

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