Marksville council commits $250,000 local match to seek $860,000 in street repairs

The city engineer told the Marksville City Council the city had submitted a capital‑outlay request for street improvements and asked the council to pass a resolution committing $250,000 in local matching funds if the state awards the project.

"For $250,000, you buy an $860,000 project if it is funded," the city engineer said, describing planned work on Laurel, Oak, Elm and Willow streets and limited repairs to a stretch of Curry Morrow and West Wadil Street in front of the high school and National Guard building.

Council discussion focused on eligibility and timing. The engineer said the city initially requested a waiver of the local match but later concluded it did not qualify and therefore should commit the funds to make the application competitive. The resolution, which the council passed, also names Delta Engineering Group LLC as project engineer and program administrator and authorizes the mayor to execute documents necessary for the application and, if awarded, the professional services agreement.

Why it matters: If the state funds the application, the committed local match would leverage substantially greater state capital dollars to repair multiple local streets that were identified in the engineer’s report. Council members said the money would come from the street budget and would only be spent if the project receives state funding.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with required documentation and advertise for bids if and when the state issues authorization; council members asked staff to return with more specific project timing and construction procurement steps at a future meeting.