Kimball board narrowly approves $68,000 to assist South Pittsburg with backup waterline

The South Pittsburg City Hall building is seen on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
The South Pittsburg City Hall building is seen on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in South Pittsburg, Tenn.

KIMBALL, Tenn. - City leaders in Kimball have had spirited discussions for the past year on whether or not to support the construction of a secondary waterline from South Pittsburg, Tenn., by paying for the matching funds on a grant.

In February 2015, the Kimball Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 3-2 to commit $47,572 to help the South Pittsburg Board of Water Works & Sewers extend a second waterline to Kimball if South Pittsburg was awarded a $500,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant in October.

South Pittsburg's utility didn't get the Community Development Block Grant, but plans to apply again this year for the same project.

On Thursday, the Kimball board voted 3-2 again on a resolution to fund the grant's matching money requirement, but this year, that totals about $68,000.

"We've just got the one [waterline], and it's in a lot of bad areas," Mayor Rex Pesnell said. "If it was to break, we could be out of commission here in the whole town for a long period of time."

Alderman John Matthews, who voted against the resolution, questioned why Kimball's contribution to the project increased this year by more than $20,000.

Sam Saieed, a grants coordinator and regional planner for the Southeast Tennessee Development District, said the match rate has changed for everybody across the state.

"[The state] wanted people to put more money in, in order to get more grants," he said.

The matching funds rate changed from nine percent during the last grant cycle to 17 percent this year, he said.

Officials said the estimated overall cost of the project increased by $4,000 due to raw material price hikes, too.

"Of course, all this cost is based on estimates until it's bid, and it's probably going to be cheaper than the budget anyway," Alderman Mark Payne said.

Matthews said almost two years ago South Pittsburg was willing to spend all the money on another cooperative project totaling about $400,000 if Kimball got the block grant money.

"I am for [South Pittsburg] doing their project, but I do oppose the town of Kimball footing the bill," he said. "They're not willing to spend the $68,000 here."

Matthews said a manager at the South Pittsburg utility told him that Kimball would be without water only for "four or five hours" if the line broke.

"That just depends on where that main break is," Pesnell said.

In December, city leaders in nearby Jasper, Tenn., decided to apply for a $500,000 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation grant that would be used to create a backup water supply interconnect with South Pittsburg.

That grant doesn't require any matching money, and Kimball Alderman Johnny Sisk, who also voted against the resolution, questioned if that could help Kimball on its secondary waterline problem.

Pesnell said that wouldn't help Kimball construct a secondary line.

"The problem would still be there even if that project were completed," Saieed said. "The Kimball commercial area and residential area would still be at risk if the line were to break. That's what South Pittsburg Water Works told me."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.

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