Board of Supervisors approves grant application for work on airport

Published 7:00 am Thursday, August 8, 2019

During Monday’s meeting, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors approved applying for $80,000 through the Federal Aviation Administration for drainage work at the Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport.

The grant would require a five percent match split evenly between the county and the city of Poplarville, said Airport Board Member Darrell Fuller.

The airport’s grant application was previously rejected because it included a request for a fuel farm replacement as well. Now, it is being resubmitted without that request, Fuller said. A new pump system has already been installed, using $30,000 from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Fuller said.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The Poplarville Board of Aldermen also signed the grant agreement at their meeting Tuesday.

In a separate matter, the Board of Supervisors approved a change order for an additional $12,000 for construction on County Farm Road to purchase and haul additional materials to the site, said County Engineer Les Dungan.

Dungan also informed the Board that three grant applications for money from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund were submitted Friday. The applications are for an aviation training facility, property for an industrial site in the county and work on the northern portion of Ridge Road, Dungan said. During a previous meeting held on July 29, the Board authorized the applications and committed to a 20 percent match should the funds be awarded.

Dungan also informed the Board he is waiting on a response from Norfolk Southern, who committed to reimburse the county for damage to the edges and shoulder of Hillsdale Road between Highway 11 and Highway 59. The damage was caused by work trucks removing debris from the train derailment that occurred in May due to heavy rains, Dungan said.

Dungan also gave an update on county bridge repairs. The Anchor Lake Road bridge under construction simply needs guardrails before it can be reopened to traffic, Dungan said. The bridge on Lakeside Drive in the Anchor Lake subdivision is the next scheduled to be replaced, Dungan said. Two bridges on Progress Road are also under construction, Dungan said.