In December, the city of Columbus hired Waggoner Engineering to help develop plans for spending its $5.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. For a $55,700 fee, the firm was tasked with helping the city navigate the federal guidelines that govern the use of the funds, identify projects that would most benefit the city and leverage those funds through matching state ARPA funding.
Councilmen have seemed unimpressed with the firm’s presentations so far. Each time Waggoner has presented to the council, councilmen have uncharacteristically pushed back on scope and feasibility of their proposals. We’re as concerned as the council seems.
Earlier this month, Waggoner presented an ambitious plan that would designate $750,000 for general improvements, $104.4 million for infrastructure and $20 million to address poverty and inequality.
That’s $125 million in projects, 16 times more than the city’s ARPA allotment. How did $5.6 million turn into $125 million? Achieving that kind of return on an investment is akin to feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes. What Waggoner has presented is something of biblical proportions.
The bulk of the plan would rely on matching state and federal grants that have nothing to do with ARPA, which only serves to cloud the water as the city council tries to understand how best to use these one-time funds.
For example, Waggoner has suggested devoting $48 million to address floodwater and drainage issues. The plan calls for the city and county to each put in $4 million of their local ARPA funds for the project, with another $8 million from state ARPA funds. The rest would come from FEMA funds that require a 25-percent match.
That’s a lot to hope for. While Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston said the county would consider helping out with drainage infrastructure, $4 million isn’t what they had in mind.
“It’s not even close,” Hairston recently told The Dispatch.
Likewise, there is no assurance that the state will pony up that matching $8 million. The state hasn’t approved a final plan for matching dollars, and the demand for those matching funds will almost certainly far exceed the state’s allotment.
Even if the county and state pony up what Waggoner suggests they will for the drainage project, that still leaves $40 million on the table. Assuming FEMA would cover 75 percent of that amount, the city would have to come up with $10 million additional dollars.
While the ARPA funds should absolutely be focused on “once in a generation” projects, the city should not be considering sweeping $100 million-plus plans. That Waggoner would suggest Columbus undertake projects of this size shows a gross misunderstanding of the city’s financial condition.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The deadline for designating the funds is 20 months away, and ARPA funds must be spent by the end of 2026.
It is important at this stage for the council to identify projects that are not as speculative as those presented by Waggoner. The bird in the hand — impactful projects that don’t rely so heavily on additional grants — may ultimately be better than two birds in the bush.
We understand Waggoner has presented a wish list of possibilities from which the council can choose. That’s not a bad place to start.
But as the time for making decisions approaches, Waggoner ‘s role now is to provide focused, informed advice on which projects to pursue. That’s what the city expects for its $55,000.
It is fast approaching the point where the city looks at the birds and bushes rather than loaves and fishes.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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