After quite a bit of discussion, the Jefferson County Quorum Court approved the transfer of $2,100,000 from the American Recovery Plan to Municipal Special Project Construction to fund water and sewer projects for the cities of Altheimer, Humphrey and Redfield.
Last week, mayors from each city spoke on their issues during the Quorum Court committee meetings and why they needed assistance from the county.
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson said he had been in touch with all the mayors for the past two years in hopes that the county could now provide some type of resolution.
The approval by the Quorum Court now allows Robinson to allocate $700,000 from the American Recovery Plan to each municipality for the purpose of water and sewer projects but some justices of the peace felt the needs of some of the cities were greater than the others.
Mayor Roben K. Brooks of Redfield requested assistance for a $2.5 million project the city had already started on: a new water treatment facility that would take care of much-needed upgrades on the receiving end and bring the project into compliance.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
According to engineers in charge of Redfield Waterworks, there are inadequacies in the existing screen resulting in the influent line to the plant becoming partially clogged.
The clog causes frequent overflows that violate the city’s permit.
Mayor Zola Hudson of Altheimer received a letter this summer from the state Health Department that referenced its Tinman Tank Inspection Report from August 2016 which stated a new tank was needed to replace the current tank that was built in 1925.
The tank has rusted holes, which the inspector called “pathways for insects and small birds that could potentially contaminate water inside the tank.”
Humphrey Mayor Cleveland Hatch needed the funds to help replace rusted pipes that constantly rupturing and leaking. According to Hatch, the pipes are nearly 90 years old.
Justice of the Peace Reginald Johnson felt the Quorum Court should focus on the cities with the greater needs, which in his opinion were Humphrey and Altheimer since Redfield had already begun upgrades.
Others questioned why the amount was being equally distributed among the cities instead of giving more to the cities they felt had a greater need.
Robinson said to be fair, he wanted to give each municipality the same amount. He also said Redfield’s needs were just as great as the other cities.
The only difference, he said, is they took the initiative to begin repairs because they had some funding. The other cities did not.
“The rural communities, we just do not have the funding to do the new without asking for your help,” said Hudson to the justices of the peace last week.
“We are in dire need of a new construction and we need your support.”
Robinson said he also has plans to help other small rural areas in the county before the end of the year.