Wednesday, September 21, 2022

$1.2 Million to Get O.B. Curtis Back in Action

 Good news? MEMA only spent $191,000 on equipment to get the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant back up and running.  Labor cost another $1,158,297. Y'all Politics reported Monday: 

Y’all Politics has learned that as of September 15th, the Incident Command Center at the Mississippi Management Agency (MEMA) had only had to spend a total amount of $191,530.82 on the equipment and repair costs to fix the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility in Jackson since the state of Mississippi declared a state of emergency and assumed control of the operations on August 30.

That figure is a surprisingly low amount needed to fix the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment facility that is the main water treatment facility for Jackson’s 150,000 residents given that it was on the brink of total collapse before state intervention.

MEMA said that increased onsite and outside labor and contracting costs to effect repairs and deferred maintenance during that period totaled $1,158,297.26. Article.

However, don't confuse triage with fixing long-term needs. WLBT reported last night: 

The amount does not include the roughly $1 million MEMA is paying Hemphill Construction as the state’s response manager for the next 60 days. Nor does it include what the city has previously stated were priority needs for the plant.

Gov. Tate Reeves himself acknowledged that fact at a press conference on September 5.

“There are indeed problems in Jackson that are decades old, on the order of a billion dollars to fix,” Reeves said. “The crisis we intervened to solve is not one of those problems.” Article....

As for non-staffing issues, the city estimates immediate needs at Curtis range anywhere from $16 million to $20 million....

Kingfish note: The state should hire a national firm evaluate the true condition of the Jackson water/sewer system and provide a detailed cost estimate of what's needed to whip the system back into shape.  However, the firm should only be hired with the stipulation it will not be eligible for any work regarding the project.  No writing up evaluations to help the firm get future business on the project, if you know what I mean.  

 

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was any revenue billed for this month?

Anonymous said...

KF Your last comment note indicates you have some knowledge of how a municipal scam gets started. Hopefully someone else will be watching when the city orders it's "study".

Anonymous said...

Sad that councilman Brian Grizzell the mouth of the south was out in public claiming over $1 billion needed. Can you believe this idiot had the nerve to open his mouth and let the world know he was this stupid. He and Chokwe are either just dumb or crooked. I’d rather be crooked but I’m afraid Brian is just dumb. What a fool. Good think Roland Martin show has a small audience I guess.

Anonymous said...

Don't trust city estimates as far as you can spit. City estimates are nothing but unsubstantiated swags. Placeholder garbage.

Anonymous said...

To Kf's note. My former company who is a national expert on wastewater conducted a site visit over 2 days. Afterwards, we presented our finding and what were some realistic ways to find some self-funding project...and all you could hear was crickets. If you hadn't heard by now but there is a little firm that use to control all the work at all plants...when the city was in charge. ETEC. If they weren't on board it died. Look at who the top donor has been for the Mayor and you'll see why.

BTW, my firm's national experts said that of all WW plants they have EVER seen around the world...that Jackson's was the worst.

Anonymous said...

WLBT totally ripped off Y'allP on this story like they've ripped off JJ so many times before.

Fat Melvin, the expert non-expert, calls that integrity.

Anonymous said...

Dumbass "Councilman" Brian Grizzell is nothing but a lapdog for the Mayor. Lying to his constituents about cost, nothing that comes out of his mouth is accurate.

Anonymous said...

KF, same approach should apply to the Hinds County jails. The previous Board of Supervisors had a proposal for a new jail from a reputable architect who actually built jails and was not trying to get HiCo business saying a jail to comply with the consent decree would cost about $30mm (no land cost included). Current BOS came in, changed professionals and now the new facility is a $75million boondoggle that needs $13 million just for a water tower.

And if that tower is built on a hill where the County wants it, you South Jackson water folks will see all sorts of additional infrastructure problems as the increased pressure will blow out pipes that were largely built to lower code because much of SoJxn infrastructure was pre-annexation.

KF, you and others are right: it never stops.

Anonymous said...

...kind of like our airport.

Anonymous said...

Who is the top donor to the mayor? Is it Soc? What’s the company? I’m convinced Chokwe just is determined to build a
New plant. He can’t do this alone correct? It’s wasted money

Anonymous said...

Labor cost another $1,158,297. Check Hizzoner's Right Front pocket. Should be in there.

Anonymous said...

@ 1:57 - "And if that tower is built on a hill where the County wants it, you South Jackson water folks will see all sorts of additional infrastructure problems as the increased pressure will blow out pipes that were largely built to lower code because much of SoJxn infrastructure was pre-annexation."

I would like to see your calculations on that.

Anonymous said...

Attn 2:15 Much of the Labor costs are in fact payments to certain politicians “contributors” and I think most of you know this.

Anonymous said...

@2:08 you forgot to mention the zoo.

Anonymous said...

If $1.2 million will get 'er done, just think what $1 billion would do.

Answer: Grease a lot of Jackson's democrapic palms.

Anonymous said...

No need posting about brainless Brian Grizzell… he reads about as well as he does math. His drive thru diploma mills aren’t worth the paper they’re written on
It’s comical really.

Anonymous said...

So even the governor acknowledges the need for 1 billion to fix the WW treatment plants?

So….the WW plants have been in need of serious repair for decades?

The city screwed the pooch over the last several years mismanaging the staff and basically killing a dying WW system?

Seems like the city is guilty of murdering a corpse.

I do think that the feds should be in charge of any new plant construction.

Anonymous said...

Every water system in the country makes money but this one. Think about that.

Anonymous said...

Is top donor to mayor UCI?

Anonymous said...


September 21, 2022 at 4:26 PM; your reading comprehension needs a little bit of work. reeves did not acknowledge 1 billion dollars was needed for the plants. he was referring to all of jackson's other water system issues.

per the article; “There are indeed problems in Jackson that are decades old, on the order of a billion dollars to fix,” Reeves said. “The crisis we intervened to solve is not one of those problems.”

the crisis they intervened to solve was the plant itself. 1 billion is to replace the entire water system, ie.. pipes and roads when replacing the pipes.

Anonymous said...

Didn’t Hemphill install the Siemens meters for MAC(Marcus Wallace) since he was the DBE pimp, I mean “contractor”? They shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near this.

Anonymous said...

Hey 1:57! A big tall elevated tank on a hill in south Jackson probably won’t blow any old water lines. Why? Because the tank won’t have any water in it!!! Pressure won’t change just because you build a tank!

Anonymous said...

1:42, independent confirmation isn’t a ripoff. Hell, I wouldn’t mention Y’all Politics either if I could confirm something because it brings the credibility of any piece way, way down.

Anonymous said...

@9:43 PM, WLBT wasn't even seeking the story before Y'allP brought it up and provided the detailed roadmap. Your comment brings your credibility way, way down.

Anonymous said...

So the federal government will pay 75% of the bill and Tate Reeves will pay the other 25%?

Lumbaby concurs.

Anonymous said...

"Much of the Labor costs are in fact payments to certain politicians 'contributors' and I think most of you know this."

No, I don't think we do know this for "fact". Please share your sources.

Anonymous said...

So, the merger millions won in the Siemens settlement after Legals got their nice slice could have fixed the plants and had most left over?



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