News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Byrdstown Mayor Sam Gibson said he wants to further discuss who will administer the Pickett County’s state ARP funding.
Gibson said he heard that the Pickett County Commission will contract with UCDD to oversee administration. Gibson said the three percent rate of the $2.7 million water project causes concern.
“They already made a motion and approved for the town of Byrdstown to be the recipient of that money and for us to be in control of the engineering and administration,” Gibson said. “It was all written and approved, so we are a little in limbo.”
Gibson said he plans to go to the County Commission meeting Monday. Gibson said he would rather see the $81,000 fee used for improvements for residents.
“That was already approved and they tried to get them to resend that and they didn’t. I am going to play around with it this week,” Gibson said. “I mean I don’t want to fight the development district. I want to get along with them.”
Engineer Nathaniel Green said the administration fee is a new stipulation of the funding. Green said before, administration fees were waived, but now, it can be up to a six percent charge.
“I understand where they are coming from,” Green said. “I don’t have a problem where they are coming from. I think up to now the thing they have approved so far either way if it has the administration or it doesn’t, I still think the funding in my opinion is being used to benefit the majority of Pickett County and that is the intent.”
The basin project being funded is state mandated. Gibson said two of the three basins in the water system have bottomed out with sink holes and will be replaced with concrete. They are used to control pollution by using gravity to suspend and remove waste.
If the county moves forward with UCDD, the development district would facilitate the paperwork while the city oversees work contracts. The project still awaits approval from TDEC.
In other business, paving across from city hall around the remodeled Gulf Gas Station is complete. Gibson said some small draining issues now needs to be addressed.
