Town of Etowah Awarded $200,000 through Mississippi County Infrastructure Grant Program

pictured, from left: Judge John Alan Nelson, Mayor Bo McCollum and Mississippi County Treasurer Peggy Meatte

On June 13, 2023, the Government of Mississippi County, Arkansas, announced it has awarded $200,000 to the Town of Etowah, Arkansas, through its Mississippi County Infrastructure Grant Program. Etowah provides sanitary sewer service to 157 users both inside and outside the city limits. This grant will help fund Etowah’s Wastewater System Improvements Project, including the renovation of 10 wastewater pump stations, replacement of simplex grinder pumps and the renovation of the wastewater treatment facility.

“We are pleased to help fund this important project by the Town of Etowah. Partnerships between the County and our individual towns and cities continue to make Mississippi County a great place to live,” said County Judge John Alan Nelson.

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law. Among many other provisions, ARPA provides direct funding to each county in the United States through what is called the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Relief Fund (CLFRF). Mississippi County, Arkansas received $7,895,980 and has designated $2 million to fund the “Mississippi County Infrastructure Grant Program.”

The Mississippi County Infrastructure Grant Program will fund innovative, effective infrastructure projects designed to address the County's infrastructure needs. Each grant will provide up to $200,000 for cities/towns within Mississippi County and can only be used for infrastructure projects pursuant to Arkansas Constitution, Article 12, Section 5 as incorporated into Article 12 by Amendment 97. These grants will fund up to 75% of project costs, with 25% cost matched by the applicant municipality.

Only Mississippi County towns/cities were eligible for the grant and the funding allocated by Mississippi County for this grant program may be used to assist with Infrastructure project planning or implementation with a priority for projects that address areas of greatest need and serve those most at-risk. The following are types of projects eligible under this program: land acquisition, site preparation, rail spur construction, water service, wastewater treatment, employee training and equipment, environmental mitigation and training, and research facilities and the necessary equipment.

An informative workshop was held on Friday, April 7 where the cities were invited to learn about the grant and ask questions. Applications were received from eight cities and were “scored” by iParametrics, the county’s ARPA consultant based on application metrics. 

For more information, visit the County website at https://www.mississippicountyar.org/.