The City of Union will help distribute $2.9 million in home heating and cooling assistance to low-income households.

Tuesday, Union City Council authorized participation in Carolina Community Action’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which involves making city utility personnel available to take applications.

CCA director Walter Kellogg said the organization had been going to the major utility providers in its five-county service area, asking for assistance in handling applications. Kellogg said assistance is needed because CCA has been allocated $2,974,875.65 in federal funding for the program. Given the amount of money involved and current economic conditions, Kellogg said CCA expects a large number of applicants and will need help processing the applications.

Utility personnel will help residents fill out the applications and then send them to CCA, which will make the final determination on whether the applicant qualifies. Assistance is based on household income; houses at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines qualify.

The program is designed to help low-income households pay the price of home energy for residential heating and cooling and increase energy self-sufficiency. The application period for cooling assistance ends Sept. 30. Applications for heating assistance goes from Oct. 1.-Dec. 31.

While the amount of assistance varies, the maximum amount a household can receive is $500 per period. A household can be assisted twice a year for a maximum of $1,000.

Applicants must be:

• Legal residents of the United States;

• provide copies of the Social Security cards of all household members;

• a copy of a current utility bill;

• and proof of total household income for the past 30 days.

The utility bill must be in the applicant’s name with payments made directly to the vendors. Only the home energy expense portion is credited to the applicant’s bill.

For more information contact CCA at 427-0336.

Natural gas

City hall proved responsive Tuesday to the wishes of 55 petitioners seeking natural gas for their neighborhoods.

Eleven residents on Gist Quarters Road and Fant Acres Road and 44 residents on Mount Lebanon Road petitioned the city for the natural gas main in their areas to be extended and allow them to receive gas service. Council voted unanimously to authorize the extensions.

The extension to Gist Quarters Road and Fant Acres Road will cost $6,094.80 with installation handled by utility personnel. The extension on Mount Lebanon Road will cost an estimated $156,150 and be put out to bid at a later date.

Hauling contract

Council also voted unanimously to award the bid for its transfer station hauling contract to Smith Backhoe & Construction for $149.74 per load or $93,444 over three years. The company will haul municipal waste from the city’s transfer station to Republic Landfill in the Cross Keys area.