Capital projects on hold until October

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle department heads have requested funding for capital improvement projects totaling more than $2.5 million in fiscal 2007-08 but will have to wait until October to find out which ones, if any, are going to be funded.
The city council reviewed CIP requests, along with operational expenditures, on Friday but opted not to give CIP's further consideration until after the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
Mayor Dwight Tankersley said projected operational costs are now about $92,000 more than the city's anticipated revenues, leaving capital projects to depend upon other revenue sources. He suggested some money would be available as a carryover from the 2006-07 budget. Another source could be the general fund reserve.
Three of the projects on the CIP list have already been approved. They are a tunnel under I-65 at Highway 36, $558,000; the upgrade and resurfacing of Foote Road, $215,481, of which the city will pay $155,481; and a rescue pumper for the fire department, $215,000.
Other requests are:
Local matching funds for grants requested are listed as follows: Downtown Streetscape Phase I, $122,000; Downtown Streetscape Phase II, $105,435; airport runway lighting, $3,631; and soccer fields, $75,000.