From staff reports
Hormel Foundation has decided to contribute $104,500 to Austin's downtown revitalization program in 2006.
The grant was one of 12 for the city in 2006, totaling $292,608. City Administrator Jim Hurm announced the approved grant requests Monday night at the Austin City Council meeting.
The foundation also approved giving $25,000 to Austin/Mower County Area Transit to establish a dialysis route to Albert Lea. The transit system plans to make a route available in 2006 for those patients, because of the closing of Austin Medical Center's dialysis services.
AMCAT also received $52,608 from the foundation for continuation of its work routes.
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A new pedestrian bike trail along 14th Street Northwest also got $25,000 in funding.
The foundation also is giving $25,000 to the city to use for a flood study.
Spamtown USA Freedom Fest, which is the city's annual Independence Day celebration, received a $25,000 grant.
Other grants included $2,000 for the fire department's free smoke-detector program; $2,500 for dance pads at the Youth Activity Center; $12,000 for an alternate energy system at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center; $10,000 to Paramount Theatre; and $8,000 for the library to use for microfilming newspapers and installing a computer system.
A year ago, the city got more than $200,000 from the foundation for projects this year.
