McComb officials and about 15 residents met at a public hearing Monday to discuss whether to spend about $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds on infrastructure or other amenities.
City leaders said they need to find shovel-ready projects on which to dedicate the money by the end of January.
City Administrator David Myers previously said McComb would have $3.1 million in ARPA funds, but he said Monday updated figures show the total will be $2.934 million.
Robert Avery of GJA Consulting of Gadsden, Ala., who met with the board last week, led Monday’s hearing and repeated his suggestion that the board not dedicate the funds solely to infrastructure.
“In the wisdom of the President and a few others, hopefully these funds are going to do exactly what they intended for them to do and that is to make it better for all of us in our community,” he said.
Avery said ARPA funds could replace revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, pay for essential workers who could not take time off, or go to water, sewer and broadband internet infrastructure.
“There’s not too much of anything these funds can’t be used for,” he said. “You just have to look at it and work at it to make sure that it fits.”
Avery said Pike County is receiving more than $7 million in ARPA funds and could partner with the city to complete various projects. He noted the city has until the end of January to decide how it will spend the money, which must be allocated by 2024.
Avery also suggested the city start its own nonprofit community development corporation, which would help McComb qualify for more grants and funding.
Selectman Shawn Williams asked if drainage projects could be included.
“I think it was mentioned last week that we shouldn’t try to look at infrastructure because other monies will come for something like that,” Williams said, adding that drainage issues have long been a problem.
“The recommendation is there are dollars for infrastructure coming in for those things so you can take the $3 million you’ve got right now and it will probably cost more than $3 million for that project,” Avery said.
Selectman Devante Johnson mentioned other needs, such as cleaning up dilapidated properties, tearing down condemned houses and installing lighting at the East McComb Activities Field.
Myers also supported similar “quality-of-life” projects over infrastructure, without giving specifics.
“We’ve got some projects that could be the bulk of the money, but the quality-of-life stuff, I think the board will have enough money to do be able to do some of those things, regardless of what ward it is,” he said.
Johnson said he wanted to make sure the money is spent equitably across all wards.
“I want to make sure we’re addressing real needs, tangible things in our community that matter, quality of life,” he said.
Ward 1 Selectman Ted Tullos, who was not at the hearing, said he wanted to repair Delaware Avenue.
“The previous board spent city money to fix the infrastructure of Summit Street,” Tullos said. “Then you come back and mill and overlay the top of the street. That completes the process. I want to do that on Delaware Avenue.”
Mayor Quordiniah Lockley, like Avery, felt the city needed to have some idea of how to spend the money.
“In conversation with the Lt. Gov. (Delbert Hosemann) and others in Jackson, we do need to have projects that are ready to go when money is disbursed to state and to the county as well as to the city,” he said.
