McComb selectmen were surprised Tuesday to see a payment on the agenda for the Pearl River Avenue paving project they had put on hold due to lack of federal reimbursement funding.
Still, selectmen approved a $4,490 payment to Neel-Schaffer Engineering for design work done so far on the project.
At last week’s work session, selectmen learned the Congressional Budget Office was projecting the revenues for the Highway Trust Fund would not be able to cover all of the federal reimbursement projects planned across the country.
Public works director Phillip Russell said monies from the fuel tax bankrolled the federal Highway Trust Fund, but spending has exceeded revenues.
The Surface Transportation Project is estimated at $380,000, with 80 percent coming from Mississippi Department of Transportation. Russell said the design phase, with which the city is continuing regardless of the potential shortfall, is approximately $30,000.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for a temporary fix with $11 billion in funding the Federal Highway Authority. The bill is awaiting a Senate vote.
Russell said selectmen are waiting to seek bids on the paving project or bid out another $500,000 project at the McComb Railroad Depot Museum until the last minute to see if funding will come through.
“We’re very confident that by the time that project is ready to bid, the funding issue will be resolved,” Russell said. “However, if we don’t obligate the money by the end of August, we’ll lose the money anyway, even if they do fund it. We’re in that catch-22.”
Though some selectmen seemed unsure about continuing to spend money on the project that may never come to fruition, Mayor Whitney Rawlings agreed with Russell that the design process must continue while hoping for the funding shortfall to be resolved.
“We’re going to give it just a little more time. We’ve got $386,000 on the table,” Rawlings said. “You’re hearing from our public works director that if we’re not ready to proceed by the end of August, it’s gone, and that’s a lot to put at risk. I think it’s a risk that we should take.”
The board also:
• After meeting in executive session to discuss an economic development project, approved resolutions authorizing the development and reimbursement agreements for two projects, one with Buddy Powell and Southern Diversified Investments, and the other with RBR Development. Selectmen Tommy McKenzie abstained from the RBR Development vote because his employer, Clark Construction, is involved with the project.
• Approved an $117,024 payment to Insurance and Risk Managers for the renewal of property and automobile insurance through June 30, 2015.
• Authorized a $284,658 payment to T.L. Wallace Construction of Columbia for the Summit Street east interceptor project.
• Authorized a $48,820 payment to Diamond Enterprises of Gloster for the rehabilitation of the George Edwards Road water tank.
• Authorized a $13,500 payment to Unabridged Architects of Bay St. Louis for the design work on the Katrina Go Zone downtown McComb project.
• Recessed the meeting until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29.
