Marksville okays final funding for Bethune Community Center project

 

    After six years of waiting, 11 re-designs and several funding hurdles along the way, the Mary Bethune Community Center project finally appears to be cleared to begin the major portion of its $1 million facelift. The Marksville City Council approved a $120,000 “letter of credit” from Union Bank and then awarded a $759,144 contract to Scallan Construction at a special meeting Sept. 29.

    The city hopes it won’t have to touch any of the $120,000 in “new” money, since $250,000 of previously approved state capital improvement funds should be available for the project in the spring.

    Marksville had $441,000 in state funds in hand already. It borrowed $200,000 after the USDA added too many strings to a federal loan.  

Despite that, the project’s future was clouded when the bid for the contract came in almost $120,000 over the anticipated cost.

    City Engineer Rene Borrel had been authorized to sit down with the contractor to eliminate items to bring the contract into budget.

Borrel told council members the Bethune project advisory committee met and recommended the city attain the letter of credit so the full project could be awarded.

    “This allows the city to award the contract,” Borrel said. “We are telling the state that we have the money for the project and that we are going forward with it whether they give us the additional money or not.”

He quickly added that the city fully expects to be given the previously promised funds, so it will not have to incur debt for any part of the $120,000 letter of credit.

    Marksville has already spent $200,000 in state funds for roof repairs and paid almost $200,000 in city funds for architect and design costs associated with the project.

    “We have no big bills outstanding,” Mayor John Lemoine said. “We are not approving something here that we are not able to pay for. I just don’t want to see us stop the project over $100,000. We have been waiting for this for six years.”

Borrel then added that the project had been re-designed 11 times during that period.

    Councilman Frank Havard voted against approving the letter of credit, focusing on Borrel’s inability to guarantee the state would actually make the promised $250,000 available to the city in the spring.

    Councilman Mike Gremillion was absent and Councilwoman Mary Sampson abstained because she works at Union Bank.

    Councilmen Edward Conway and Clyde “Danny” Benson joined Lemoine in voting to approve the funding source.  That made the vote 3 in favor, 1 against, 1 abstained and 1 absent. 

     Work should begin on the  project in the very near future.