Scott City gets new state grant for drainage improvements

Scott City has been awarded a $639,250 community development block grant from the state Department of Economic Development for continued drainage improvements, according to Dustin Whitworth, city administrator.

"The city has been working tirelessly repairing and correcting drainage and flooding issues. After years of flooding due to large rain events, Scott City took the initiative a few years ago to secure funding," said Whitworth, who said work using the latest funding should begin later in the year on Oak Street.

Whitworth said the municipality previously received a $500,000 grant for sidewalks from the Missouri Department of Transportation, which required some matching funds from the city.

Rationale

"The way our town is structured, Main Street and the south end of our railroad tracks are pretty flat. The north side of Scott City is pretty hilly, so all the rainwater comes through our ditches and floods our primary roadway. An approximately $800,000 (community development block grant) project we earlier completed put storm pipes down Main and we've put in three retention ponds, one off of Lincoln Street and two off of Water Avenue. This has helped with flooding problems tremendously. This new block grant will tie into the prior project," said Whitworth, who has been city administrator since March 2022. Prior to taking on the top staff position in the city, Whitworth was Public Works director since 2015.

"When I came here eight years ago, we had rains that would cause flooding quite frequently. The grants have helped us and so has the city's partnership with land developers who've put in retention ponds to hold back the water," added Whitworth, who said the city also has a plan sometime in the future to add another retention pond on Maple Street near a city cemetery.

Whitworth said these grant-funded efforts to control flooding and improve drainage have the ancillary effect of "beautifying our town."

Reflection

Whitworth pointed out community development block grants are competitive awards.

"It's very gratifying to know that our town of 4,500 residents is making the case successfully to get this funding. Sitting in my position, you start to think larger communities such as Cape Girardeau, Perryville and Sikeston get money and we don't get anything. Maybe it is we are applying the right way. We also now have great grant writing help. Bottom line, it feels as if Scott City is being 'heard' and people are seeing the need to develop this area and we're starting to see results," Whitworth concluded.