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Hampton seeks $115,000 after drainage project bids top original estimate, clerk says
Summary
City Clerk Mary Lou Hildreth told council that bids for a resilience-funded flood/drainage project came in well above the original $194,000 estimate, leaving a $115,000 shortfall; she said legislative sponsors have approved reallocating funds but grant-manager and rulemaking issues complicate immediate relief.
City Clerk/Administrator Mary Lou Hildreth told the Hampton City Council that the lowest construction bid for a resilience-funded flood and drainage mitigation project was $309,000, far above the project's original $194,000 estimate, leaving the city about $115,000 short of what is needed to begin full construction.
Hildreth said the implementation grant’s planning work is underway, including preliminary silt-fencing and vegetation clearing, but that the city must secure the additional funds to complete the project. She told council she has discussed the issue with the program lead and that recent rulemaking and turnover among grant managers have made the funding path confusing for a small municipality in need of immediate relief.
In an email included in the meeting record, Hildreth cited a slide from the rulemaking workshop that states, "Cost share may not include state appropriations," and asked whether that language allows her to use legislative appropriation dollars to cover a shortfall when the city has no local cost share. She said DEP staff indicated additional funding options were limited and that the city would be advised to apply in the next funding cycle, but the project is expected to be complete by the end of April while the next cycle does not close until Sept. 1, 2025.
Hildreth said the city received a legislative appropriation and that Senator Bradley and Representative Brannan provided letters approving reallocation of a portion of those funds toward the drainage project's cost overruns, but that the mechanics of reallocating those dollars under DEP grant management rules are still being worked out.
Hildreth described Hampton as a small, financially disadvantaged rural community with limited internal staffing and capacity to navigate repeated grant-manager changes and shifting reporting requirements. She noted the city has already expended roughly $30,000 in engineering costs on related projects that may be reimbursable under other grants.
The council did not take a formal vote on reallocating funds during the meeting; Hildreth said she will continue to pursue discussions with DEP and legislative staff about options to close the $115,000 gap so construction can proceed.
