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Commission approves TDEC amendment to add $1.8 million to Portland and Westmoreland water projects
Summary
Sumner County accepted an amendment to a TDEC grant that adds roughly $1.8 million in federal funds to several waterline and tank projects in Portland and Westmoreland; the county’s $1 million ARPA match and existing MOU language remain in place with clawback protections for the cities.
The Sumner County Commission approved an amendment to a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) ARPA grant package that adds about $1.8 million in federal funding to several waterline and tank projects in Westmoreland and Portland.
County staff said the total grant package covered by the current contracts and MOUs is about $8.6 million; the county’s match for the overall set of projects is roughly $1 million in ARPA funds. The $1.8 million amendment will be folded into existing project MOUs and is intended to cover cost increases related to inflation, subsurface conditions and other construction pressures.
County staff told the commission that MOUs include clawback language that would require cities to repay funds to the county or TDEC if a city fails to comply with grant conditions or project requirements. Staff said one Westmoreland consultant failed to advertise a procurement step required by TDEC and ARPA rules; the county discussed that with TDEC and does not expect that isolated error to trigger a clawback.
Commissioners also discussed project timing, bid reviews and consultant signoffs. The commission approved forwarding the MOUs and the amendment to the full commission; members waived the second reading and approved moving forward during the meeting.
County staff said final MOU language remained subject to minor edits by county legal counsel and consultants before final execution; the commission was asked to approve the concept and amounts so work could proceed with project partners.
The projects affected include several waterline segments in Westmoreland and an Oak Hill elevated tank in Portland. County staff said the extra funding should allow the cities to avoid removing planned project pieces to cover cost overruns and instead keep the projects intact under the amended scope.
