Council enters agreement on Highland Parkway
Published 1:01 pm Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Highland Parkway has sat unfinished for a time.
Tuesday, Picayune’s City Council approved several motions that will help finish the project, with help from the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors, and the developer.
Four motions on the night’s agenda dealt with varying aspects of the matters to fund and seek reimbursement for completing the unfinished section of Highland Parkway.
The motions, which were all approved, involved entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Board of Supervisors to complete the road, approving a contract between Cooper Company and Bank Plus to conduct repairs to the damaged roadway, to seek reimbursement for any expenses in the work and approve the design and construction phases of the project.
More than six months ago the road was open, though unofficially. Since then, base failures caused the road to be officially closed.
City Engineer Brooks Wallace said this project will cost about $800,000 and will fix the base failures and install curbing and drainage features.
Of that total, $250,000 will come from surplus Mississippi Department of Transportation grant funds, which are being used to conduct the Richardson Ozona Road relocation project. Additionally, the city and county will each put in $100,000, of which they will seek reimbursement. The remaining $350,000 will come from the developer, Wallace said.
City Clerk Amber Hinton said a budget amendment will be required to transfer the city’s portion of the funds.
As for reimbursement, Wallace said that will be accomplished through any future bonds issued for development at the site. He said that if no further development takes place at the site, it might take up to five years for the city to be reimbursed, but if development takes place that time would be reduced.
Base failures will be stabilized and drainage work and curbing will round out the project.
Long-term, the city will seek funding for construction of the sidewalks, Wallace said.
When the project is complete, the road will become property of the city, he said.
Bids will be advertised in mid May. Wallace expects to receive those bids by late June, with work starting in July or August. Ultimately, the aim is to have the project complete by the end of the year, but if the weather is good the work will be completed sooner.
In other business the council:
— Approved a motion to apply for the fiscal year 2016 bulletproof vest partnership program.
The next council meetingThe next council meeting will be at 5 p.m. May 3.