Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 114, No. ??	Month DAY, 2007

Progress reports given to riverport board

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

Signatures are still being awaited for the riverport’s access road, members learned from consultant Mike Flint at their Sept. 4 meeting.

Flint reiterated the fact state officials have given an extension on the $206,000 Community Economic Growth Grant, administered through the Governor’s Office for Local Development through the Kentucky Community Development office. The program’s goal is to provide flexible funding for economic growth and viability of communities within the commonwealth.

“They have given us until the end of the year (to spend the money),” Flint said. “Last week I checked on the status of the contracts and was told they will be signed any day.”

“This is now just a daily thing, not a weekly thing,” Flint said. He said the contractor already has pulled the necessary paperwork and were also awaiting signatures.

“It won’t take us long to spend the money,” Flint said.

Flint said later the preferred route hasn’t been approved, but there have been some recommendations made. The engineer is expected to review those recommendations and make a report back, which is what these funds will pay for.

An additional $700,000 also is earmarked for the road, which will be used for construction costs. At an earlier meeting, Flint said asphalt prices had increased slightly, but were starting to stabilize.

Magistrate Steve Wardrip reminded Flint the county had received a $500,000 grant for water lines at the site. He wanted to make sure Flint knew about it so they would not have to dig up the same area twice.

“As soon as the road is engineered, the money will be waiting there for the water lines,” Wardrip said.

In a related matter, Flint said some of the engineering costs have decreased, according to preliminary estimates.

Flint is working with Garver Engineers in Nashville, Tenn., in particular engineer Ed Walker on the costs.

“Two of the stevedores also have been talking to them and he has answered some of their technical questions,” Flint said. “Right now he is doing some analysis and will report back.”

A stevedore is an organization or group responsible for loading and unloading the cargo at a port.

In other business, members:

• Learned Consolidated Grain and Barge updated their insurance declaration for the riverport. Flint said this shows the firm’s continued interest and commitment.

• Heard Flint submitted information to a Canadian firm which deals in fertilizer. The firm is looking at several river sites between Evansville, Ind., and Louisville,.

• Entered into a closed session at the beginning of the meeting to review proposed stevedore contracts. In addition to riverport members, also attending were magistrates Tony Staples, Wardrip and Tom Goddard. No action was taken following the 20-minute session, acting chairman Joe Wright said.

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