An extensive list of water projects spread across the county appears to be moving forward as Coahoma County Supervisors decided Tuesday to begin the application process to seek funding for the work.
Supervisors had created a wish list of water projects prior to the pandemic with the hope of one day finding the money to fund the work, then came ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) dollars from the federal government. Supervisors voted this spring to start the application process.
But newly hired ARPA fund consultant Andrew Smith urged the board to delay the projects until he had a chance to review them and also look at other possible projects the county might want to pursue with federal dollars.
Smith was not at Tuesday’s work session with supervisors. Supervisors are not allowed to vote at a work session since it is not a regular or special called board meeting.
While the county has tentatively decided to move forward with the project, a new wrinkle is a desire by county officials to host a series of public meeting to seek public input on spending the money. Those meetings are scheduled for this week.
Dist. 4 Board of Supervisors President Johnny Newson said letters have been sent out to “members of the community,” about those meetings.
Supervisor Paul Pearson said Tuesday he had not seen that letter and did not know who in his district they were going to.
The application process for water projects will begin Sept. 30 with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
Tuesday’s work session was held to discuss how $4.2 million in ARPA funds should be spent and lasted over two hours. Newson had said last week he was hesitant to spend all the county’s ARPA funds on water projects.
Pearson said these water projects have been needed for years and felt it was a shame people in the Mississippi Delta did not have clean, safe water. He also said every dollar spent on water projects will be matched dollar-for-dollar by MDEQ, allowing the county to get these projects for half-price. The remaining $2.1 million could then be spent on other projects.
“I also want to point out if we go ahead with these projects we stand a better chance with them being accepted,” said Pearson. “If we don’t apply we won’t get them. We need to move on this. This kind of money will never come around again and we don’t need to miss out.”
ARPA fund consultant Andrew Smith and North Delta Planning and Development District executive James Curcio were hired last month to monitor ARPA funds. North Delta Planning and Development District has handled the county’s water project for years. Smith will be paid approximately $212,000 to handle the county’s ARPA funds.
The vote to hire Smith was led by Newson and seconded, as he routinely does, by Dist. 5 Supervisor Roosevelt Lee with Dist. 3 Supervisor Derrell Washington cast the deciding vote. Pearson and Davis voted against hiring Smith saying his fee would go a long way in funding needs around the county.
WATER PROJECTS:
1.) Six-inch Service loop to Airport, CEPA and Hwy. 316 (RECOMMENDED) - Alternate #1: 2,282.081.
2.) Six-inch Service loop to CEPA and Hwy 316 – Alternate #2: $1,597,932.
3) Six-inch Service loop to CEPA only – Alternate #3: $558,817.
4.) Six-inch Extension and distribution line replacement for the Town of Rich – APPROVED – $873,341.
5.) Eight-inch Water main relocation at Moon Lake Bridge – (RECOMMENDED): $102,305.
6.) Eight-inch, six-inch Extension to Indian Mound community – Alternate #1: $303,599.
7.) Eight-inch, six-inch, four-inch, Indian Mound I Anderson headquarters Alternate #2 (RECOMMENDED) $559928.
8.) Two-inch Extension to New Faith Church on Hwy. 322: $86,951.
9.) Four-inch Extension to New Faith Church and unserved residences on Hwy. 322 (APPROVED): $428,538.
10.) Three-inch, Extension / Replacement to structure at Hwy. 61 / Hwy. 316: $302,372.
