Odessa Communty Center to get upgrade

ODESSA — The town has received a $1.7 million grant to renovate the community center.

The state Department of Commerce’s Small Business Innovation Fund grant was announced at the Monday, Nov. 14, Town Council meeting.

Clerk Meri Jane Bohn applied for the grant at the end of August with engineer Steve Nelson’s help.

Center upgrades will ensure a safer environment for employees and renters, officials said. Renovations will include: a new roof, new floors, new windows and updates to the office space

The library will also be renovated included.

“We recognized the dilapidated severe conditions of this building and the serious repairs needed to keep safely serving the community,” Bohn said. “The whole town of Odessa deserves this so much.”

The project timeline is tight, Bohn said.

“It’s going to be a crunch against the clock to get this project done,” Bohn said. “I know with such a fantastic engineering firm on board we will get things done as quickly as possible.”

Renovation expenses will be incurred by June 2023, officials said.

In other Town Council business:

• Police Chief Les Jimerson reported an assault of a juvenile, a peddler who did not have a license, a break-in, a welfare check and an armed robbery.

Jimerson said that multiple cases are still pending and paperwork is being completed.

• Public Works Director Anthony Paszkeicz reported a waterline break took two days to fix.

Paszkeicz said the plow truck is fixed and has been winterizing the meter boxes.

• A budget amendment hearing will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.

• The council is currently working on a newly updated website.