City eyes October completion date for Southland Drive

City eyes October completion date for Southland Drive

Work on northern connector moving along

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The Southland Drive extension between Ingram Boulevard and 7th Street received a funding boost from City Council. City Engineer Phillip Sorrell appeared before the council Sept. 1 to say the work on the project was accelerating and asked permission to release funds every two weeks. Because the amount of the bills are above that which an administrator may release without council approval, Sorrell asked for the exception to expedite payments to the road builder.

With 90 percent of the dirt work reported complete, Sorrell said Southland Drive was on schedule for completion by the end of October and asked the city legislators for permission to pay the bills to finish the city’s new $2.5 million northern connector. West Memphis enjoys an 80 percent match from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) for the new road project.

“The contract calls for two week pay intervals,” said Sorrell. “We immediately submit payments to the AHTD for our 80 percent reimbursement. Because of those pay intervals, council approval limits of $50,000 are problematic.”

“The total amount budgeted has already been approved by council,” said City Attorney David Peeples.

Sorrel underscored that rationale and said he worked with the city attorney to draft a resolution to by pass the normal administrative spending limit.

“Since you already approved the contract, we have a resolution,” said Sorrell. “David Peeples constructed this resolution that would allow us to run the payments for this project through the mayor with out having to run each payment through the council.”

The project was kicking into high gear requiring the bigger payments.

“Up to this point work has been hit and miss and there have been smaller costs,” said Sorrell. “It becomes necessary because we are now getting into the big pay items. Over the next two months we will have payments in excess of $100,000. In fact one is on the council agenda for approval today for $120,000.

City Clerk Phillip Para waved a yellow caution flag and wanted to define the scope of the resolution.

He worried the spending cap on city spending might be lifted altogether. Officials provided the Clerk assurance that the resolution was limited exclusively the Southland Drive construction project and did not represent a sweeping policy change.

“Does the resolution just pertains to this project,” asked Para. “Your not raising the ceiling on anything else?”

“It is specifically designed for just this project,” replied Sorrell.

Council passed the resolution on a voice vote. A $120,479 payment to Crisp contractors hinged on council action.

“Now if we have a bill greater than $50,000 on this project, I can sign it,” concluded Mayor Bill Johnson. Sorrell wrapped up the business with the project status.

“The present schedule still calls for it to complete by the end of October,” said Sorrell. “We have 90 percent of the dirt work in now, the embankment material. We expect to see some of the base material being put down in the next week to ten days.”

By John Rech