Holmes County foundation awards $25,000 to Glenmont stormwater planning

The Holmes County Education & Community Foundation on Jan. 7 awarded a $25,000 grant to the Village of Glenmont to develop plans for improving the village’s stormwater conveyance system. Officials say the planning work is intended to address persistent flooding tied to undersized infrastructure and the community’s challenging topography.

The grant comes from the Western Holmes County Fund, a donor-established pool aimed at supporting projects that enhance quality of life on the county’s west side. Holley Johnson, executive director of the foundation, described the award as a practical example of the fund putting a donor’s vision into local improvements by supporting planning that can lead to construction and long-term resilience.

Chris Young, Holmes County engineer, said "the project will provide a comprehensive stormwater plan that can be used to leverage future grant funds for construction." Village leaders expect the study to map conveyance routes, identify critical bottlenecks and lay out phased options that could be presented to state and federal grant programs or other funding sources.

Mayor Robert "Dusty" Lint called the grant "an important investment in Glenmont's future." Local officials noted that without an engineered plan, the village has struggled to compete for larger infrastructure dollars. The planning grant is designed to create the documentation and cost estimates that grantors and agencies typically require before awarding construction funds.

For residents, the planning effort aims to reduce repeated street and yard flooding, protect basements and utilities, and improve road safety during storm events. Village streets that drain into low-lying areas have experienced recurring short-term inundation, and officials say a coordinated plan will help prioritize fixes and reduce the ad hoc patchwork repairs that have been common.

Beyond immediate flood relief, the grant illustrates how small, targeted investments from local philanthropy can catalyze larger public works. The Western Holmes County Fund’s role here is to seed the technical work that communities often cannot afford on their own but that is necessary to unlock state or federal capital.

Photos and contact information for the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation accompany this article for residents who want more details or to follow how the planning process unfolds. Village meetings on the plan will be announced as work progresses and residents are encouraged to track timelines and submit flood histories to aid engineers.

Our two cents? Keep a record of any flooding you experience, go to the public meetings when they’re scheduled, and support the plan—good documentation and turnout will make Glenmont’s case stronger when construction dollars are pursued.