Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 65 - HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND FERRIES (§§ 65-1-1 — 65-43-85) › Chapter 37 - LOCAL SYSTEM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM (§§ 65-37-1 — 65-37-15) › Section 65-37-7 - Eligibility of counties for expenditure of funds; conditions; forfeiture of funds under certain circumstances; reallocation of forfeited monies; written notice preceding forfeiture

(1)
In order for a county to be eligible for the expenditure of funds under the provisions of this chapter, the board of supervisors of the county shall meet the following conditions:
(a)
On or before January 1, 1995, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter, the board of supervisors shall present to the State Aid Engineer on a form to be prepared by the State Aid Engineer, a four-year plan of bridge replacement and rehabilitation for the county. The plan shall identify the project or projects and shall contain a detailed plan prepared and approved by the engineer for the county. The plan shall specify the condition of the existing bridges included in the project, the drainage requirements, the type of replacement or rehabilitation to be made and the design and specifications therefor. Four-year plans may be modified each year or more often as necessary provided that the modifications are submitted to the State Aid Engineer.
(b)
The county shall agree to employ a qualified engineer and such other technical experts as may be necessary to perform all engineering services required for the projects. The engineer shall be required to inspect the construction of the projects and to approve all estimate payments made on the projects.
(c)
The county and municipalities shall agree to construct, at their own expense, the base and surface of all approaches providing necessary connections to each bridge project within their respective jurisdictions, including the base and surface for culvert projects whenever fill material is placed as part of the contract.
(d)
The county and municipalities shall agree to acquire all rights-of-way and relocate or make adjustments to public utilities for each bridge project within their respective jurisdictions as may be necessary in the manner provided by law for the acquisition of rights-of-way and the uniform policy for accommodation of utility facilities within the rights-of-way of state aid roads as adopted by the State Aid Engineer under authority of Section
65-9-1
et seq. Rights-of-way may be acquired by gift, purchase, deed, dedication or eminent domain. The only costs that may be paid from funds provided under this chapter for right-of-way acquisition shall be the actual cost paid by the county to the landowner for the land acquired as certified to the State Aid Engineer by the attorney for the board of supervisors. The only cost that may be paid from funds provided under this chapter for utility adjustments shall be the actual cost paid by the county for utility adjustments pursuant to contract let by the county as certified to the State Aid Engineer by order of the board of supervisors.
(2)
A county shall not be eligible for the expenditure of monies allocated to it under this chapter and the State Aid Engineer shall not certify the use or expenditure of such monies on any bridge that is not a deficient bridge as defined by Section
65-37-3(1)(a)
, unless the State Aid Engineer certifies that all bridges on the local road system within the county for which funds may be made available under this chapter that are deficient are currently under contract for replacement or rehabilitation. When the State Aid Engineer certifies that all deficient bridges within the county are currently under contract for replacement or rehabilitation, then that county shall:
(a)
Be eligible for the expenditure of funds allocated to it according to the formula established in Section
65-37-3(2)(a)
for:
(i)
The maintenance and replacement of other drainage-related structures in accordance with designs and standards prescribed for such projects by the Office of State Aid Road Construction;
(ii)
The Local System Road Program established pursuant to Sections
65-18-1
through
65-18-17
; and
(iii)
The matching of federal funds for expenditure on state aid roads and bridge replacement in accordance with Section
65-9-29
; and
(b)
Be eligible for the expenditure of funds allocated to it according to the formula established in Section
65-37-3(2)(b)
solely for the preservation, maintenance and rehabilitation of local system bridges of the county which are deficient bridges as defined in Section
65-37-3(1)(a)
.
(3)
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (3), when a county has failed to expend the monies allocated to it under the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, as described in this chapter, for an uninterrupted period of two (2) successive fiscal years, the county shall forfeit and no longer be entitled to the outstanding cumulative balance on hand of the monies that were allocated to it under the program before that period of time.
(b)
The county is eligible to receive funds allocated to it in fiscal years occurring after that period of time that caused a forfeiture under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3), unless it so forfeits monies again under that provision.
(c)
Monies forfeited each fiscal year under the provisions of this subsection (3) shall be reallocated annually among only those counties that are determined by the State Aid Engineer to have Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program projects that are ready for construction but are not being undertaken due to lack of funds.
(d)
Before a forfeiture of funds may occur under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3), the State Aid Engineer shall give written notice to the board of supervisors of the county at least ninety (90) days before the forfeiture, and for good cause shown, he may allow the county an additional twelve (12) months to expend the funds subject to the forfeiture.
Laws, 1994, ch. 557, § 6; Laws, 1999, ch. 549, § 1; Laws, 2001, ch. 492, § 12; Laws, 2008, ch. 453, § 1; Laws, 2009, ch. 381, § 1, eff. 7/1/2009.
Amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 383, HB 576,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by Laws, 2015, ch. 374, SB 2566, 1, eff. 7/1/2015.