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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council awarded more than $155,000 in education grant funds to Chelsea High School during a regularly scheduled council meeting on Tuesday, April 2.

During the meeting, all councilmembers, with the exception of Scott Weygand, voted in favor of awarding funds to Chelsea High School based upon an education grant application. The funds were awarded to ChHS in order to pay off its remaining weight room debt balance of $155,761.70.

“I appreciate the majority of my council approving the Nick Grant,” Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said. “My council (sees) the value of taking that debt load off of different sports and the band at the school. This was something that we could to influence and touch a lot of different students. So, that’s why it was important for me to get it done.”

When the new weight room facility was constructed at ChHS, a debt remained of more than $450,000 and afterward multiple programs worked each year to work on paying off the debt. ChHS Athletic Director Michael Stallings and Principal Brandon Turner submitted the extracurricular grant application to the city to pay off the remaining debt balance which, according to the application, “would help free significant funds for all sports to utilize for the benefit of their programs and the students involved.”

The Chelsea City Council, with the exception of Council members Chris Grace and Weygand, also approved a resolution to accept a proposal from TextMyGov to provide communication services to the city.

“We’ve contracted with a company to set up a text message distribution platform(and through it) we will be sending text message to all Chelsea residents to notify them of special events, traffic issues (and) weather issues.”

Those who wish to opt out of the notification system can drop out at any time by simply replying once to the texts with the phrase “stop.”

In other news, the Chelsea City Council approved an agreement with Samuel Fish to perform improvements to the natural area between Melrose Park and the Chelsea Community Center in the amount of $9,720.00. The improvements include, mulch, hand cutting smile pines and brush, spreading dirt piles and grass seed.

The next Chelsea City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m.