Kemper County Utility District moves to recommend TVA gas-line extension to Highway 16

At its Feb. 19, 2025 meeting in DeKalb, the Kemper County Utility District board moved to adopt a resolution recommending that the Tennessee Valley Authority extend a natural gas line from the TVA combustion turbine plant to U.S. Highway 16 at Mark Cobb Road. The motion was made by Commissioner Dr. Scott Alsobrooks and seconded by Chairman Susan Morgan; the formal vote on the resolution is not specified in the minutes excerpt.

The proposal was discussed as part of broader infrastructure planning. Commissioners considered whether county-owned infrastructure might be transferred to the District and noted the need to determine the legal authority and administrative process for such a transfer before any assets change hands. The board did not record a final decision on a transfer in the provided transcript.

Legal counsel Kacey Bailey reported an update on the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) application with USDA: counsel will check whether a revised project scope and cost estimate were submitted to reflect availability of a lower loan amount (from $2,000,000 to $1,000,000). That change in the loan ceiling was presented as an item requiring counsel follow-up; no final USDA determination is recorded in the minutes.

Chairman Susan Morgan said she had been invited to join a Kemper County delegation to meet Mississippi congressional leaders March 4–6 to discuss the natural gas and water line projects; she said she will report on developments at the next regular KCUD meeting. The board’s minutes indicate continued steps to pursue federal and interagency engagement but do not record a completed federal commitment or construction authorization.

The transcript shows commissioners advancing the recommendation to TVA and pursuing additional administrative and funding clarifications; the minutes and signatures indicate the record was later approved by the board on March 16, 2025.