The Town of Shubuta is ecstatic to have received a grant and funding to make improvements in the town. They received a CDBG Grant for $599,996 that will be used to work on a major sewage line in town.
“This is for a sewer project we have on James Street,” explained Shubuta Mayor Cleveland ‘Baba’ Peebles. “It’s around 1,000 feet long from one manhole to the other. We’ll replace piping from one manhole to the other. In this town, when they did the sewer, they did it with concrete pipes. Now, every time we have a problem, we have to replace it with PVC pipe because that’s what the government replaces it with. Our engineer has to get everything worked together on how much it’s going to take, and then we’ll put it up for bid on doing the work in the next month or so. We have a small project on Maple Street, and I think we have enough money we should be able to complete them both.”
He knows that it isn’t easy to receive money and that multiple small towns are applying for grants to attain help with sewer and water, and he is thankful to everyone in the county and state that have worked so hard to make this grant possible.
“Kawana with East Central planning helped us get it. Our engineer, Maureka McKenzie, was heavily involved with us,” stated Baba. “Our Senator, Jeff Tate, came down and looked at the project. Troy Smith was also involved along with our Representative Omeria Scott. I just want to recognize all our senators and representatives for helping us because they had to work together to get this done.”
The grant to work on the sewer line isn’t the only good news the town has had involving funding. Omeria Scott has also found some funding to assist the town in completing its renovation of City Hall and money for a fire truck.
“The first project we did for City Hall was done through a historical grant,” expressed Baba. “Omeria Scott somehow came up with $200,000 for us for City Hall. We’re in what’s supposed to be the police station right now. Our engineer estimated it would take about $185,000 to finish it, and all the work to be done has already been brought before the board and voted on. We’ll put that job up for bid soon. Also, she came up with $90,000 on a fire truck. We’re supposed to get a fire truck this year.”
Thanks to everyone working together to help get all the money for the City of Shubuta, there will be some great changes coming to the infrastructure that will be beneficial for the citizens in that area.
