Thanks to a federal grant, four sites along a drainage canal within the Holly Bluff community will be repaired at no expense to Yazoo County.
County Engineer Larry Dixon appeared before the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors to discuss a federal grant with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a federal agency that helps conserve natural resources on properties. Yazoo County applied for federal assistance last year for assistance to repair sites along Canal Road in the Holly Bluff community near Lake George.
Dixon was eager to announce that Yazoo County was awarded about $860,000 at no cost.
“We applied to the NRCS to give us some money to repair these sites,” Dixon said. “They accepted our sites, and we have got their approval. Now, we have received from them their notice of the grant and award agreement.”
The agreement includes $800,000 for construction costs and $60,000 for technical assistance, totaling $860,000.
“The good thing about this particular agreement is we have never had one like this before,” Dixon said. “The federal government is going to pay 100 percent of the grant amount. There is no match or money out of our pockets whatsoever.”
Dixon said, in the past, similar agreements have included a 25 percent match. Recently, that match was in the 10 percent range. But, at no match, he said has never happened.
“They are going to fund this thing entirely,” Dixon said. “There is no money out of county funds whatsoever. You can’t beat that. That is a no brainer. I recommend we accept their agreement proposal.”
The county board did so, adding to their excitement about the project, which will help save county property.
“How can you say no to 100 percent,” added Supervisor Joseph Thomas Jr.
