City, county officials brief Lott, Cochran on economic development

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
March 2, 2004
Meridian and Lauderdale County officials briefed Mississippi's two U.S. senators Monday about economic development projects including water and sewer service to the Interstate 20/59 Industrial Park.
But Lauderdale County District 1 Supervisor Eddie Harper said the meeting in Washington with Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran was not in response to Meridian's delays in construction of water and sewer lines.
Harper, District 4 Supervisor Joe Norwood, District 2 Supervisor Jimmie Smith, Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith and East Mississippi Business Development Corp. President Wade Jones attended the meeting.
The three supervisors also were in Washington to attend the five-day annual meeting of the National Association of County Officials a conference expected to attract about 2,000 county officials nationwide.
The meeting with Lott and Cochran came a week after Meridian city councilmen voted to re-bid the industrial park's water and sewer construction because of a typographical error that appeared in one of the original bid documents.
Councilmen had hoped to award the construction contract last month.
Re-bidding the project is expected to delay the construction by about three months, officials said, with the completion date now set for Sept. 26, 2005 a move some leaders fear could threaten industrial recruitment.
The $3.1 million project is expected to be partly funded with a $1.5 million grant from the Economic Development Administration. The EDA extended the grant, allowing the city to re-bid the project,
A sternly-worded warning from the EDA said the city could lose the grant unless terms of the extension are met.
Harper, who serves as vice president of the board of supervisors, said the meeting with Lott and Cochran was part of a presentation to show appreciation for the two senators' support.
Harper said county and city officials need to work together on economic development projects so they can continue to get additional federal funding.