DAPHNE, Ala. — The Daphne Finance Committee decided not to give a favorable recommendation for pursuing a $248,319 Stag Grant.

The council approved the original application for the $367,880 grant, which will create a system for managing the city’s storm-water infrastructure inventory, but when Fairhope declined to apply for its share, Daphne and Foley were given the opportunity to split remaining funds.

Ashley Campbell, environmental programs manager for the city of Daphne, proposed going after half of Fairhope’s portion with Foley.

“We were hoping to submit the second part of the application and combine it as a package,” she said. “This is something the city really needs and we were working five years for this.”

Campbell said the system used to track storm water inventory could be used to track road and bridge inventory, street paving history and other utilities.

The committee did not recommend either way on whether the city should apply for this extra money.

“We have a limited amount of money that’s becoming lower and lower,” Councilman Derek Boulware said. “There will be things that happen in 2011 that we can’t foresee. But since we are budgeting, I would recommend not doing this.”

“I support (the grant),” Councilman Bailey Yelding said, “but there’s some other things the city needs to do.”

According to Campbell, the extra grant would allow the city to hire a city network administrator to install, manage and enter data into the new inventory management system and ensure the system works properly between City Hall and Public Works. Campbell said 55 percent of the administrator’s time on the project would be paid by the grant.

The council could still decide to pursue the grant.

Campbell said if Daphne decides not to apply for the extra money, Foley is allowed to take it, and said that city will take Fairhope’s entire portion.