NATCHEZ &045; David Gardner, Natchez city engineer and waterworks superintendent, told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has now said the city cannot use for any purpose the $362,000 the agency allocated for a major drainage project until the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The project would replace aging underground drainage canal and make related drainage improvements in north and downtown Natchez.

Earlier this month, Gardner told aldermen the Corps had said the city could not use that money for construction during the current fiscal year because the Corps and the city were late in signing a project agreement.

At that time, the agency said the money could be used for engineering &045; and Gardner pointed out the city was still surveying the canal anyway.

Now the funds will not be available this fiscal year. Even if funds trickle in from the Corps year by year, &uot;it’ll take 10 years for this project to be finished, and we have time limits on the $2 million,&uot; Gardner said.

Gardner was referring to the $2 million march the Mississippi Department of Transportation put up for the anticipated Corps funds.

Meanwhile, Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said, &uot;we could have another collapse&uot; of the major drainage canal under Canal Street, which already happened once in 2003 in front of the post office.

With that in mind, Arceneaux-Mathis said city officials and the public at large must write and call &uot;as many people as possible&uot; with the federal government asking them to make sure the project is fully funded.

Later in the meeting, Gardner told the board the city on Tuesday received the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s permission to give the contractor a notice to proceed with improvements to Minor Street.

Those will include widening the street, erosion control and drainage improvements.

A pre-construction conference should be held as soon as possible, Gardner said. After that, the project will take 10 months to one year to complete.

Alderman Theodore &uot;Bubber&uot; West thanked city employees, including Gardner, for their work on the project. &uot;Another year, and (Minor Street) will be the most modernized street in the city,&uot; he said.

&uot;We have a lot of good city employees,&uot; Mayor Phillip West said. &uot;I do notice the work they’re doing, and I will acknowledge it. Š We are on the verge of doing good things in this city.&uot;

Also on Tuesday, aldermen voted to submit an application for a $75,000 emergency Community Development Block Grant to repair supports that have collapsed under a sewer line behind the beanfield just north of Natchez High School.

The city will have to provide a 10 percent match for the grant for the application to be seriously considered, city Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar said.

In addition, Gardner said the state has agreed to work with Public Works to correct a similar situation at Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Wilson Road.