RIPLEY — Town Board members learned at their regular meeting on Aug. 14, that the state Environmental Facilities Corporation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the town to be used to determine improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.

Ripley Supervisor Laura K. Pless read a correspondence from the agency which stated that the Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant has been awarded for the development of a proposed engineering report.

Pless said she was very pleased the town received the grant. “We applied for the grant in March. With it, we will be able to evaluate improvements to our wastewater treatment plant,” she said. “We appreciate the support of the community as we work to make improvements to our systems.”

In a related matter, council members passed two resolutions authorizing public hearings regarding the improvements to the town’s water districts 1, 2, 4, and 5 and to the town’s sewer districts. The hearings were to be today at 10:30 a.m. They were to be held in the supervisor’s office because court was in session.

The project to improve the four water districts is estimated to cost more than $5,400,000, Pless said. The improvements to the sewer districts are estimated to cost $1.7 million, she said. The purpose of the hearings will be to seek approval to apply for grants for both projects, she added.

Council members also passed resolutions classifying current water system improvements and wastewater treatment facility improvements as a Type II Action. Pless explained that this means the town can bypass the full SEQRA process because the projects will have no environmental impact.

In other business, council members passed a resolution de-obligating funds from the highway garage project. Pless explained the garage project is completed and there are funds remaining and this resolution releases those funds from that project.

In another matter, Pless told council members that unexpected repairs to the town’s 2014 Peterbilt truck, which had major issues, are estimated between $13,000 and $15,000, not more than $20,000, which was originally anticipated. “We do have it in the budget. It will be tight, however,” she said.

Town clerk Ryleigh Enterline reported the planned rabies clinic on Sept. 18 will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the highway garage on Ross Street. “We’re pretty excited about this,” Enterline said. She noted that people seeking a three-year vaccine for their pet must provide proof that the pet has had a previous rabies vaccine.

Councilman Jeffrey Lyon reported that all of the recommendations from the insurance company regarding the highway garage have been completed at the cost of $225.

Lyon also reported that two requests for sidewalk replacement are underway. One request was from the school to replace the sidewalk on the east side of Route 76 and the other request was from a resident on Goodrich Street to replace the sidewalk on the east side of that street.

Pless noted for all residents that the town will pay half of the cost for any requested sidewalk replacement. “We would love to see the sidewalks replaced and this is our way of helping residents,” she said.