Mississippi City Finds Funds for Safer Sidewalks

Mississippi’s Pascagoula City Council has authorized a request for the city to pay its nearly $50,000 share for the Safe Routes to School grant application, which was at first thought to be 100 percent federally funded.

The Sun Herald reports the program would fund construction and renovations to sidewalks and paths near some of Pascagoula’s schools to make the areas safer for walking.

The council previously approved the federal grant application under the impression it would be fully funded. However, City Manager Joe Huffman says the city has been notified it must provide 20 percent.

Huffman said Tuesday the $49,999 was not budgeted, but said this is a child-safety issue. He says the school system and the county have both expressed interest in contributing to the project.