Located in Shelby County, East Texas, the City of Joaquin has a storied history, dating back to its incorporation on June 15, 1914. This small municipality has long been a pillar of the community. However, recent events have tested its resilience like never before.

The City of Joaquin faced major challenges from severe flooding in East Texas. Excessive rain and debris caused crucial pumps to fail, reducing wastewater flow and causing backups. The city rented a pump for the past two months, costing $2,688 per month, plus $3,600 per month for gas. However, this was only a temporary fix.

The city urgently needs to replace two lift station pumps and a failing pump at the wastewater treatment plant. Additionally, the crucial PLC card at the plant malfunctioned. Despite spending $6,000 on a technician from Dallas, the problem persists. Now, the city is negotiating with the manufacturer in Minnesota to fix the card, costing $10,273.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the City of Joaquin turned to the Environmental Services and Lending Teams at Communities Unlimited (CU) for support.

CU Community Environmental Management Specialist Chad Brown and Senior Economic Development Loan Officer Chris Ranniger attended the city council meeting to discuss the environmental and lending programs available. They provided detailed information and answered questions from council members and the system operator, emphasizing the urgency of securing funding to address these critical infrastructure needs.

CU provided a $30,000 loan to replace the pumps, reprogram the PLC card, and cover other flood-related expenses. Mayor Jessie Griffith expressed gratitude, emphasizing the importance of CU’s help in tackling these challenges.

“As far as working with Chad and Chris, everything was great,” Griffith said. “I couldn’t have asked for two better people.”

Funding from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation will help Joaquin restore normal wastewater flow, resolving backups for residents. It will also prevent future overflows during heavy rains, better preparing the city for natural disasters.

This isn’t Joaquin’s first time working with CU. Last year, the city was approved for a $576,000 CU loan to build a new well but didn’t close the loan. Instead, they applied for USDA funding. The goal is to stop buying water from Logansport, Louisiana, which costs over $30,000 a month.

“Paying $30,000 bills is simply unsustainable for a small town like Joaquin,” Griffith said. “When Communities Unlimited came through and helped us out, we cut that down. Hopefully, our next bill will be a whole lot less.”

Added Brown, “The City of Joaquin has been great to work with. The recent flooding in East Texas has created severe issues for their wastewater system. Still, through working with them, they’ve shown resilience and determination to restore normal wastewater flow and prevent future overflows. We at CU are committed to providing support through our lending and environmental programs to help Joaquin overcome and build a more resilient infrastructure.”

“Working with Communities Unlimited has been straightforward,” Griffith said. “Whenever I needed to reach them, I could call their cell or office numbers, and if I didn’t get an immediate answer, they’d return my call within 30 minutes to an hour. They made it easy to get things moving. Chris worked closely with my city secretary, Cheryl Green, to handle all the necessary paperwork and background information.

“I’m happy working with Communities Unlimited. During our meetings, I also learned that they offer small loans for businesses. I’ve been sharing this information with the community, encouraging people who might want to start a new business.”