Tuscaloosa, Ala., Mayor Walt Maddox has devised a plan to alleviate some of the city’s drainage problems without taking too much from the city’s treasury.
According to Tuscaloosa News, the City Council’s Finance Committee has signed off on a $21 million program that is being called “Noah’s Ark.”
Although the plan is expensive, it should save residents money in the long run.
The plan promises to fix the storm water drainage problems at 13 sites in nine different basins throughout the city. It would also alleviate flash flood problems for approximately 25 percent of the city residents, and increase the debt service by less than $500,000.
The plan will combine $6 million that the city agreed to give developers of the Midtown Village shopping center with a bond issue to fill in the $21 million needed for the new project.
Tuscaloosa News reported that the plan would put the city’s debt payment at $3.9 million beginning fiscal 2009, and maintain that amount if nothing else is added until 2020. The city’s annual debt payment is now at $3.5 million.
The 13 sites were chosen from a list of 33 drainage problems that were identified by TDOT.
Source: Tuscaloosa News