The town of Maplesville applied for a Cawaco RC&D grant in late July to furnish a utility building for the volunteer fire department.

The resource grant is for $4,000 and would be used to purchase a building for the fire department to utilize for storing “non-frequently used necessary equipment for the fire department.”

“We need some more space for our equipment we use at the fire department,” Mayor W.C. Hayes Jr. said. “We need it bad.”

Hayes said the town has received a quote from Hillside Storage in Maplesville for a building estimated to cost between $3,000-$4,000.

The building will measure roughly 24 feet wide and 36 feet long and will be placed next to the fire department, which is located on Railroad Street in Maplesville.

The town should be notified in October of whether it received the grant.

According to its website, Cawaco RC&D is a program that focuses on the conservation development and utilization of natural resources to improve standard of living.

The Cawaco RC&D Area was formed in 1979 and encompasses the following Alabama counties: Chilton, Blount, Jefferson, Shelby and Walker.

County Commission representatives, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and community members comprise the Board of Directors.

The Cawaco RC&D Council meets quarterly to make decisions and identify projects to assist local people and communities.

Councils like Cawaco RC&D (Resource, Conservation and Development) are non-profit organizations that can help protect economic, social and natural resources in different areas.

Hayes said if the town is awarded the grant, the utility building should be installed within several weeks of receiving the grant.