Water system improvements project hits road bump

The water system improvements project currently underway for the City of Prairie City hit a road bump during planning. The section of the city targeted for a Community Development Block Grant, the northern edge of Prairie City, did not qualify due to the low- and moderate-income rate coming in too low in a recent survey.

Andrew Inhelder, project engineer with MSA Professionals, discussed options in front of the council during its regular January meeting to continue moving the project forward.

The grant funds were projected to be used to help pay for improvements to the city’s water distribution system. In Phase I, the city is looking to address water lines near Eighth Street, North Street and Fifth Street from Dewey Street to Sherman Street.

An initial targeted survey boundary resulted in a 42 percent LMI, nine points short of the 51 percent required. The boundaries were expanded to include additional properties in hopes of increasing the LMI but the results from the second survey also did not meet the 51 percent at 48 percent.

“The area we expanded to did still not qualify, which knocks out the CDBG portion. There are a few things we can do, whether it is split the project up into several pieces, look at alternate funding, that is a discussion we will have to have,” Inhelder said.

Councilwoman Ann McDonald asked if a third survey is an option to still keep the CDBG in the mix. Acting city administrator Joe Bartello said trying to re-expand or resurvey an area for a third time would begin to raise red flags when going after the highly competitive grant.

“We were 51.8 percent, we just scooted by (for the sewer line project) and it was almost the entire north half of town,” Bartello said.

Since almost the whole north side was used before, Inhelder said it would probably take the same city area to get the desired results.

“Then, it gets into the question of is the project we’re doing effect the whole north side and it opens it up to some questions,” Inhelder said.

Alternative ideas to continue the improvements have been discussed including splitting up the project and reaching into different funding sources. In the mean time, the design of Phase 1 has continued to keep progress moving forward.

“I asked him to continue with the design since we are using a planning and design loan for Phase 1. We will have those specs done and once that project is complete, I think it would be a good idea to look for other funding sources,” Bartello said. “It is important for council to remember that Phase I was identified as a real need and a target area for improvement based on the other costs and considerations that were going into those lines failing and breaking.”

Inhelder said he would like to get together with city staff in the next month to discuss specific details of the plan as it gets into its final stages.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com