Columbus City Council giveth, and it taketh away.
Tuesday night it was the former, as Mayor Keith Gaskin broke a tie to award the engineering services contract for American Rescue Plan Act projects to Waggoner Engineering.
Waggoner was hired to handle engineering work for the city’s two designated ARPA watershed projects: one on Northside surrounding Columbus Brick’s property off of Bluecutt Road Extended, and the other west of Mississippi University for Women.
The city was awarded $3 million in dollar-for-dollar matching funds from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality earlier this year, but needed to designate an engineering firm to handle the work. The city put out a request for qualifications earlier this year, and Waggoner and Neel-Schaffer were the two firms that responded by the Nov. 15 deadline.
Mayor Keith Gaskin said a fee structure is still being negotiated.
“Both firms responded to a review of qualifications only,” Gaskin said. “We should know projected costs in a few weeks.”
Waggoner was hired as the city’s ARPA consultant back in December 2021, which authorized it to perform needs assessments and pursue other funding sources for ARPA-qualified projects. Thirteen months later, the council fired the firm after becoming dissatisfied with the pace of its work.
Mayor Keith Gaskin attempted to veto the firing, but his veto was overridden days later.
With no discussion Tuesday, Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco moved, with a second by Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones, to give the job to Waggoner.
Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene followed with a substitute motion, seconded by Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard, to give the work to Neel-Schaffer, instead. That motion deadlocked 3-3, with Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart, Greene and Beard voting yes and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens, Jones and DiCicco voting no. Gaskin broke the tie with a no vote.
DiCicco’s motion to hire Waggoner passed with the same breakdown, and Gaskin again broke the tie, this time in favor.
At his regular Wednesday morning press conference, Gaskin said he felt like Waggoner was the best fit for the job.
“I don’t make decisions based on past things that go on in the city,” Gaskin said. “I looked at their qualifications, and four of us decided they were in the best position to do work for us.”
‘People do change’
Mickens, who voted to sever ties with Waggoner earlier this year, told The Dispatch Wednesday afternoon he thought both firms are qualified to do the work.
“People do change, and you’re allowed to change a decision you made earlier,” Mickens said. “They came and wanted some work. I just gave them some work. That’s just it.”
Mickens said his vote was not a comment on the quality of Neel-Schaffer’s work.
“Neel-Schaffer is a cornerstone for the city,” Mickens said. “They’re still doing the bulk of our work. We’re just trying to spread the love. It’s the holiday season, we’re getting in the spirit.”
Jones said this time around, Waggoner would be doing “shovels-in-the-ground” work as opposed to studies — a bone of contention when Waggoner was the ARPA consultant. He also felt like it was “only fair” to let Waggoner finish what they started.
“They did help us get the money, and now we’re going to let them finish it out,” Jones said. “That’s the reason I voted for it.”
Jones compared it to upcoming work on the Waterworks Road bridge.
“The reason I made the motion for Neel-Schaffer is they helped us get the grant and all that stuff,” Jones said.
Jones is referring to a Mississippi Department of Transportation grant that will replace the bridge over the Luxapalila Creek on Waterworks Road, just off of Gardner Boulevard. In September the council accepted a $4 million MDOT grant to replace the bridge, which is currently only open to weight-restricted traffic.
DiCicco, in a text message, told The Dispatch she felt like there was enough work to go around.
“There’s enough work for everyone and competition makes everything even better,” DiCicco said. “When I did my original research, I was impressed with reports I received on Waggoner. I know firsthand Neel-Schaffer is great, but I think it’s good to have a relationship with both companies.”
Greene said nothing has changed his opinion of Waggoner.
“We just fired that group a year ago,” Greene said. “… We fired them because we didn’t feel like we were getting our money’s worth. Nothing has happened that has changed my mind.”
Beard said he thought the city was paying twice for the same thing.
“I feel like it’s a duplication of services,” Beard said. “We already have an engineering firm here in Columbus. They gave us excessive amounts of studies in the past. I don’t know if they’re going to do that same thing again and get fired again.”
Stewart did not return a Dispatch phone call seeking comment by press time.
Waggoner got the nod in July to do the environmental services for the city’s blight remediation program.
The city was awarded $3 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to put towards its blight remediation program, as well as putting aside $500,000 from its ARPA allotment.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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