By SUSAN WHEELDON, CJ Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
February 09, 2009 06:51 am
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Though it may be small, the City of Ferguson has a wish list just like Somerset or anywhere else, and Ferguson Mayor Allen Dobbs said he plans on sending a letter to state and federal representatives to let them know the city’s needs.
“We don’t have wishes. We have needs,” said Dobbs of the city’s request.
City and county governments across the state are submitting their requests to state and federal leaders looking at President Barack Obama’s stimulus package and the possibility of new federal and state funding for approved projects.
Dobbs said the request to state and federal officials won’t be long, but both items on the list are projects the city has needed for quite some time.
The mayor said the two areas of need for the city of around 900 people are for improvements to sewer and sidewalks. To complete these two projects, the city will be requesting around $2.4 million.
Following the meeting, Dobbs said that in the City of Ferguson, 257 homes have sewer, while 153 homes are without it. Within that 153, there are 17 homes which have failing sewer systems.
Homes which currently are on the sewer system in the City of Ferguson received service in the late 1970s.
For several years, the city government has worked to get a sewer grant, but it has not been able to obtain one to complete the rest of the project.
As for sidewalks, the only street that has sidewalks in the City of Ferguson is Jacksboro Street. Mayor Dobbs said those have been there for many years and are cracking and breaking.
“What we’d like to do is put sidewalks on Murphy Avenue, new ones on Jacksboro Street, and connect them going east to west,” said Dobbs.
Dobbs said he believes if they were able to have sidewalks on city streets, it would make a safer environment for residents who might need to walk somewhere, and for children to ride bikes and walk safely.
Dobbs said he doesn’t have any idea when the money will released or for what specifically funds might be purposed, but the city will try for the two big items that are needed.
“We’ll mail the letters out and keep our fingers crossed,” said Dobbs. “If we can accomplish that, it’s two big things we’ve needed done.”
Without receiving money through a grant or from the state or federal government, Dobbs said the city would have to take out a long-term loan, possibly up to 30 years, and then decide between sidewalks and sewer.
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