Mountainburg seeks money for $12 million water project

MOUNTAINBURG -- The city is applying for financing at the county, state and federal levels, including American Rescue Plan money, to pay for a project to supply potable water to about 625 households in north-central Crawford County.

Mayor Susan Wilson said Oct. 8 it will take months to fill out the necessary applications. Wilson said she started the process in late September when it became clear the city wouldn't reach its goal of receiving 400 signed water-user agreements and $100 deposits from property owners by Oct. 1.

It received about 335 agreements.

"We are asking every single entity that can possibly give us money for this project to give us money for this," she said.

Wilson said the 400 agreements requirement, which she set, was necessary to prove the project would be sustainable to funding agencies if they decided to approve financing for it. The $100 deposits, included in the project's total cost, will serve as the participants' "buy-in" for construction if it's funded.

The city will refund the deposits if it decides the project isn't viable, Wilson said.

The project would span two phases and add 66 miles of pipe from the city's water distribution system to households, she said. The project is estimated to cost about $12 million.

No water system serves the households in the affected area, which is between Mountainburg and Cedarville from the Washington County line south to Rudy, according to Wilson. The households rely on wells for water or haul it in from elsewhere, such as the Lake Fort Smith Water Treatment Plant. Mountainburg purchases water from Fort Smith.

The project was developed by property owners in the affected area with the Van Buren-based firm Hawkins-Weir Engineers.

Royal Wade Kimes, who put the committee together with fellow property owner Cliff Hubbs, said he attributes the 400 agreement goal not being met to difficulties contacting all the landowners.

The committee is still working on getting signatures for the project.

"It's just like finding needles in a haystack," Kimes said. "You've just got to keep going and keep going and keep going until you find them."

Kimes believes Wilson is doing well in her efforts to secure money for the project. He said she has sent about 47 letters to those in positions of power, including representatives and senators for Arkansas at the state and federal level.

People living in the affected area have wanted potable water for more than six decades, Kimes said.

"Everybody else has water, they should have it," he said. "This ain't a Third World country. So we're about to make something happen that's really needed."

Wilson said the city may be able to borrow less money for the project if it receives American Rescue Plan money.

Crawford County is due to receive more than $12.2 million from the plan, according to the county Treasurer's Office. It got more than $6.14 million in May and will receive the other half next year.

The Crawford County American Rescue Plan Committee, which will decide how to allocate the money, held its first meeting Aug. 26. Mark Shaffer, committee chairman, said the county has to allocate all of the money by 2024, after which it must be spent by 2026.

Shaffer said the committee is working with the Fort Smith-based Western Arkansas Planning and Development District to create an application. The committee will select some applicants to give a full presentation on their proposed projects, he said.

Shaffer estimated Thursday the application will be available online within the next 30-45 days. The committee is also waiting to get direction from the federal government as to how American Rescue Plan money can and can't be spent.

Wilson said Mountainburg will have a public meeting Feb. 1 to provide an update on the project.

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