City seeks answers to fund wastewater treatment plant

— Several Gravette city officials met last Wednesday morning with a representative from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Au\thority to search for additional funding to assist in paying for Gravette’s planned wastewater treatment facility project. The potential for a combination loan/grant from the RDA consumed most of the discussion.

William Rowland, Area Specialist, from the Harrison USDA office, explained to those attending that “possibly” some loan and/or grant funds might be available when new federal appropriations are received, but cautioned that funds may not materialize.

Nothing firm came from the hour-long session except that city officials are still seeking answers to meet the cost of the mandated improvements to the city’s facility.

After listening to the scope of the project and its financial requirements (estimated at $6 to $8 million), Rowland said he would do some calculations and have additional information by the middle of this week.

Attending the informal meeting at the city hall, along with Mayor Bill Howard, were council members Byron Warren, Terry King and Forrest White, Junior Hartley, Tracy Newell, Allyson Ransom and engineer Joe Tarvin with EGIS Engineering.

News, Pages 1 on 09/08/2010