Work on the Winslow levee will move forward despite a lack of federal funding in the coming fiscal year.
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday that will allow the county to spend up to $353,000, even though the corps is unable to match that amount.
Work on the levee had been proceeding under a 50-50 cost share agreement with the corps, which also allowed the county to supply part of the match with in-kind services, such as labor, rather than with cash. The project has been delayed, however, because the corps has not received adequate funding and under the project agreement, the county could not provide more than 50 percent of the costs.
Under the agreement approved by the board, the county will spend up to $353,000 beyond what the corps has funded so that the hydraulic and economic modeling can be completed. Eventually, the corps is expected to match the total contributed by the county.
Supervisors David Tenney and Jerry Brownlow expressed some trepidation about spending funds in advance of the federal government based on a promise that eventually the federal portion would equal the county portion.
“So the federal government says, ‘Trust us’?” Tenney commented.
Public Works Director Homero Vela explained that due to a lack of federal funding for the project work on the levee cannot move until either the county makes an additional contribution or federal funds are committed to the levee.
“They’re not trying to get out of the (50-50 cost share) agreement,” Vela told the board. “We just get ahead of them financially and then we’ll wait in future years for the corps to get back up to 50 percent. So it won’t be 50/50 anymore, we’ll be ahead, but the expectation is that they will come back with some funding and it will be 50/50.”
Floodplain Administrator Trent Larson explained that the $353,000 advance payment by the county would bring the project to the halfway point and mark an important milestone in which a vital “without project conditions report” will be produced.
“By completing this next step we will have reached the F3 milestone in the corps project management plan,” Larson said. “To date, the federal funding share has been $454,000 and Navajo County has contributed $454,000. An additional $353,000 is needed to reach the F3 milestone.
“Funding for this project is based on a 50/50 cost share agreement, however, because federal funding is not available for this project in the upcoming fiscal year, staff recommends revising the cost share agreement to allow Navajo County to contribute the needed funds in advance.
“The F3 is a key point to reach in the corps study process, as we will receive the ‘without project conditions report.’ This is a stand-alone document that will provide peer-reviewed hydrology and hydraulic studies.”
Larson noted that the corps has also agreed to continue to seek federal funding for the Winslow levee project and will list it as a high priority in its budget.
Although Tenney and Brownlow expressed concern about the federal government eventually matching the $353,000 advance, board members unanimously approved the expenditure.
