Finance committee forwards Brownfields coalition resolution; sends four routine finance items to full council

The Russellville City finance committee voted to forward an ordinance authorizing the mayor and city clerk/treasurer to apply for U.S. EPA Brownfields grants as part of a coalition with Pope County and neighboring cities, and to designate Russellville as the coalition's lead agency.

Mayor said consultants from the University of Louisiana Monroe and the engineering firm Terracon approached the city to prepare and submit Brownfields grant applications. "These are properties that are dilapidated — a good example is the old hack cleaners right behind us here," the Mayor said, describing the grants as a way to fund studies and, if eligible, remediation that would give properties "a clean bill of health" for future redevelopment. He added that the consultants would write grant applications at no charge but could bid on remediation work; if Terracon were the lowest bidder it could be awarded a remediation contract.

Committee members pressed staff on scope and city obligations. The Mayor said the process typically begins with a study grant covering multiple candidate sites and, for properties that require cleanup, applicants seek subsequent abatement grants. He noted that private-property cleanup would not create an automatic legal obligation for the city: "To my understanding, there's no legal obligation to us because it's private property." Committee members also asked whether the program covers asbestos and other contaminants; staff said the assessments target a range of environmental concerns including soil and building contaminants.

The ordinance requests an emergency clause to authorize the mayor and clerk/treasurer to sign memoranda of understanding and accept funds on behalf of coalition members; the committee declined to disallow the request and forwarded the measure to the full council with a recommendation of approval by voice vote.

Votes at a glance (forwarded to full council with recommendation of approval): - Item 1: Resolution to apply for a 90/10 ADA grant for hangar roof repairs and insulation (sponsored by Patrick Karp) — forwarded by voice vote. - Item 2: Appropriation from Economic Development Capital Fund to purchase UPS/battery backup system (amount read as $41,479.10) — forwarded by voice vote. - Item 3: Third-quarter reimbursement request to Alliance for Economic Development, $51,450.73 — forwarded by voice vote. - Item 5: Ordinance to enter Brownfields grant coalition and authorize grant applications (Russellville as lead) — forwarded by voice vote.

Why it matters: If awarded, Brownfields grants can pay for the environmental assessment and cleanup work that make historically contaminated or dilapidated properties attractive to developers, potentially unlocking private investment without the city assuming cleanup liability. The committee discussion also highlighted the common arrangement in which grant-writing consultants can bid on subsequent remediation contracts, subject to competitive-bid rules.

What’s next: The forwarded measures will appear on the full Russellville City Council docket for final consideration. The Brownfields coalition ordinance would return with any required memoranda of understanding and, if subsequent abatement grants are pursued for city-located properties, those projects would come back to council for approvals tied to each property.