FRIARS POINT—Finding solutions to water and sewer issues highlighted discussion during Tuesday’s Friars Point City Council meeting.
Darrell Dixon, a program specialist for North Delta Planning & Development District, Inc., presented two engineering firms that could help secure community development block grants to deal with water problems.
They were Allen & Hoshall out of Jackson and Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc. out of Tupelo. The council received a booklet of information about each firm. The council members and Mayor James Washington wrote down ratings of each company based on qualifications, experience and capacity to perform.
After Dixon added up the ratings, he announced the city would be using Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc. to do the water projects.
“I’ll take that and we’ll let Cook Coggin know that they won the ratings and they’ll be able to approach the town for an application for a community development block grant,” Dixon said.
Washington mentioned the possibility of doing things differently than he initially planned.
“We definitely need to paint that water tower and to coat it,” Washington said. “We can get the money. There is no problem with getting the money if you want to go along with a grant to go with it, but a block grant would give you a grant, if you could tie the two together.”
Dixon said a water/sewer projects meets a higher threshold than a water project.
“It’s definitely a possibility, but they attach scores to all of these things, so it’s kind of like taking a test,” he said. “We want to make sure we get the one in that’s got the best score that gives you the best chance of having funds.”
Washington also said he spoke with a representative from Delta Utilities, LLC out of Webb about sewer pump issues.
“We have a pump problem where at the lagoon the pump that pumps the debris from the lagoon over the levee and dumps into the Mississippi River has been giving us problem,” Washington said.
Washington said he was told the labor would cost $350.
“He didn’t know what the pump would be at this point,” he said. “He thinks he might be able to fix the pump where it wouldn’t cost the town any additional money. But if he’s not able to fix it, then we’re just going to have to purchase another pump for that.
“That’s something we cannot get around because, if you don’t fix it, you’re in violation of your permit from the state department. That means that you won’t be living up to your capacity level as to what your permit would be saying. So you’re going to have to do that.”
Washington said there are problems with other pumps, including the one by the ball field.
Water and sewer superintendent Kendrick Whitley said four pumps were down.
“We have some that we’re trying to put together to keep everything flowing,” Whitley said, adding he is waiting on funds to correct the problems.
“In the meantime, though, we still need something.”
Whitley suggested using a tank to help clear out lift stations.
“We’re looking at rain and stuff coming,” Whitley said. “We’re going to have to come up with a temporary solution until we control this lagoon. If it started raining, in two or three days, we’re going to start out with a problem at the levee. It’s just going to trickle down. We’re looking for a backup.”
Washington said the tank was a good idea.
Washington also said Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc. and Mississippi State University are working on a study that to decide if the town should remain using meters to determine water rates or if there should be a flat rate.
If it is not a flat rate, Washington said digital meters would probably be used. He added digital meters would tell when there is a leak.
“That means you have to buy all those different kinds of meters that come in here,” Washington said. “That’s what everybody else is going to. You’ve got to stay in line.”
City police concerns
The Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office is still overseeing the Friars Point Police Department.
When a stipend comes in from the county tax assessor, that could change.
“We’re operating on a wing and prayer right now until it (money) comes in,” Washington said.
Washington said the money should come in by the end of the month and that would help determine how many officers could be hired. He said he plans to hire a new police chief at that time.
“We’re waiting on our stipend to come in, our tax money to come in, so we can see how many we’d be able to put on,” Washington said.
Washington also said he received quotes from people looking to buy equipment the town is not using.
He said he received an offer of $600 for one police car, $500 for another police car and $300 for a dump truck.
“I would like to accept what is offered to clean up that mess back there,” said Alderman Joe Sawyer.
Alderman Thomas Williams agreed.
