If the state provides the funding, Burlington residents may see some big improvements to the sewer system next year.

The Lawrence County Commission approved Thursday an application for $417,829 in state Issue-2 funding through the Ohio Public Works Commission that would be used to make several stormwater sewer improvements in Burlington.

The total project cost is $464,255. The commission approved a commitment of $46,426 from the 2004 Community Development Block Grant funds that would provide matching funds if the grant is approved, said Dale Mootz, director of special projects for the Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization.

Working with the village of South Point, planned improvements include adding storm sewers in Burlington between Township Road 1034 and Division Street, correcting problems between West Drive and Kimberly Lane where stormwater runoff is going into the sanitary sewer system and correcting a drainage problem between Township Road 1213 and Harbor Drive, he said.

Commission President George Patterson said this is a worthwhile project that will really benefit the Burlington residents.

Commissioner Jason Stephens agreed.

"This project gets a lot of birds with one stone," Stephens said.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has recommended that the stormwater infiltration changes need to be made. That may help get the project funded, Mootz said.

Both Mootz and Ralph Kline, director of housing and community development for the CAO, said they were fairly confident the project could get funded.

"If the county rates it as a top-priority project three should be very little chance of it not getting funded," Kline said.

The applications had to be filed by Oct. 14 and the county will probably not know if the project will be funded until July 1, 2004.

In other business, the Commission approved a motion by Commissioner Doug Malone to study the idea of creating an economic development fund within the 2004 budget. Funding

would come from using an undetermined percentage of any new revenue that is generated by the county's half-percent sales tax. If no new revenue is generated, then no money would go into the fund.

&t;Approved an offer by Sheriff Tim Sexton to transfer a Ford Taurus that was formerly part of the Lawrence County Juvenile/Probate Court to the detective division of the Ironton Police Department. It will be used to help accommodate Ironton Police Officer Jim Akers who was recently moved to the detective division.