The Ramona Water Board agreed Tuesday to match funds totaling $9,900 for the Ramona Senior Center and the Ramona Parks and Recreation Association for flooring upgrades in the community center.
The Senior Center and Parks Association has applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund the replacement of the flooring in both the community center's dining room and commerical kitchen.
The current flooring is the building's original 1976 installment.
Cindy Galloway spoke on behalf of Ray Cardona, the Senior Center's executive director, and told the board that the CDBG is a total of $33,000 and that the matching requirement is 30 percent, which comes out to $9,900. The County pays for the other 70 percent of the project.
"We are humbly asking for help," Galloway told the board.
The Community Center is an asset owned by the Ramona Municipal Water District, which is why Galloway was seeking their assistance in matching the nearly $10,000 funds.
Ramona Municipal Water District General Manager David Barnum said that the district already has funds for this project.
"Monies have been set aside for maintenance of this building," he told the board.
Board president Darrell Beck said that the Community Center's auditorium/dining room gets enough use from the public that it deserves the upgrade.
The CDBG has not yet been approved by the county, but if it does, all five water board members agreed to use RMWD money to pay the requested matching funds of $9,900 for new flooring.
The Federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) makes grants available to local public and non-profit agencies through the CCDBG program. In 2011, the county approved a CDBG grant for the Senior Center/Community Center to replace and upgrade the air conditioning system at its facilities.
