Dear Editor:
I am writing to provide the residents of Bell County with additional information about PRIDE funding for the City of Pineville’s Dorton Branch Sanitary Sewer Extension Project. Incomplete --even misleading -- information was presented at a recent meeting of the Pineville Utility Commission, as reported in the August 21st issue of The Middlesboro Daily News (”Loss of funding leads to crisis for Pineville Utility Commission”). Because the newspaper did not contact PRIDE for comment on this matter, I am relying on this letter to present the full story about PRIDE funds for this sewer project.
The article said that Pride had reduced its funding for the project. Actually, the City of Pineville lost its original $705,000 grant from PRIDE for failing to meet the grant deadline. PRIDE finally withdrew the grant in December 2007 because the city did not spend the funds by June 20007, which was the deadline set when the grant was awarded in 2005.
In February 2008, PRIDE reinstated the grant for the project after negotiating with the city. When the city bid the project, PRIDE was pleased to learn the project would cost $236,000 less than originally budgeted. As a result, PRIDE informed the city in July that the grant would be reduced to match the amount actually needed, plus a contingency fund in case unforeseen problems arose during construction.
The bottom line is that PRIDE left enough money in this project to complete it as original planned. Since then, the city has decided to expand the original scope of the project. The city has not applied for PRIDE funds to pay for the additional work.
Reducing the city’s grant was consistent with PRIDE’s policy of spreading our limited federal funds across as many sewer projects as possible. We do no leave money sitting idle in a project when the need for sewer funds is so great across southern and eastern Kentucky.
Also, like many federally funded programs these days, the PRIDE budget is tight. That means we are less likely to pay for expansions of sewer project beyond their original scope. Unfortunately, that will be a limitation we face if the City of Pineville requests PRIDE funds for its changes to this sewer project.
To the people of Bell County, I want to say it is important to us at PRIDE, that these facts are available to you We have worked side by side with you to clean up your environment since PRIDE began in 1997, and we do not want you to doubt our ongoing commitment to you. Since 1997 has invested $4.5 million in Bell County to provide septic systems to 238 low-income homeowners, fund sewer projects for 272 homes, clean up 26 dumps, and support countless environmental education projects or local schools. Most importantly, 5,764 Bell County volunteers have donated 14,627 hours to caring for their community through PRIDE.
In short, we at PRIDE value our partnership with Bell County residents and communities and we will never intentionally undermine it. I am more than happy to discuss this matter with anyone who ha questions. My phone number is 606-677-6150.
Sincerely,
Karen Engle
PRIDE President and Chief Executive Officer
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