Questions of how Greenwood will spend its $3.2 million COVID-19 pandemic relief allocation from the federal government will soon be answered, according to Mayor Carolyn McAdams.
The money comes from the American Rescue Plan, which was passed by Congress last year and is providing $350 billion to state and local governments.
McAdams learned more about how the money can be spent when she and the Greenwood City Council spent Tuesday through Thursday at the Mississippi Municipal League’s Mid-Winter Legislative Conference in Jackson.
The mayor said the money comes with a host of rules and guidelines from the federal government and Mississippi law.
“(State Auditor) Shad White spoke to us on this money to make sure that we followed the procedures,” she said.
Greenwood has received $1.6 million so far and will receive the other half this year.
The Municipal League will host webinars to help guide local leaders in understanding the rules. The mayor said she and City Attorney Don Brock Jr. will attend them.
Her idea is to use a majority of the money to repair the city’s sewer system.
“All the sewer pipes within the city, about 60% of them need to be lined,” she said. “That’s what’s causing all these sewer cave-ins. The pipes are deteriorating because they’re 75 years old. I would like to see this money used on that.”
She said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann indicated during a speech at the conference that matching funds from the state may be available for projects that are considered “generational,” and she hopes repairing the sewer system qualifies.
She said American Rescue Plan funds could possibly help pay as well for a proposed concrete sea wall at the boat landing on the Yazoo River.
The city has already received a $250,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the project. It requires matching funds from the city, half of which will be met by Greenwood Utilities.
She plans to investigate whether the remaining matching portion can come from the federal relief funds.
Very little of the money will go to repairing roads, as the city has already devoted $6 million to road repairs, she said.
“$3.2 million is a lot of money, but when you’re lining sewer pipes and wanting to do a few other things with that money, that money is gone in a short length of time,” she said.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
