Plans are being finalized for a trip to Washington next week bycommunity officials seeking financial assistance with two economicdevelopment projects.

The trip by members of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County EconomicDevelopment Alliance is scheduled Oct. 19-21. Two projects top thelist for the meeting with members of the state’s congressionaldelegation.

“We’re going after infrastructure funds and lighting on theinterstate,” said District Two Supervisor Bobby J. Watts, presidentof the Board of Supervisors. “Hopefully, we’ll get some help to getall that situated.”

In addition to Watts, alliance members include City Clerk MikeJinks, chairman; Mayor Bob Massengill; Chancery Clerk TillmonBishop; Cliff Brumfield, executive vice president the Chamber ofCommerce; and Anthony Bell, chairman of the Industrial DevelopmentFoundation. The alliance was formed to oversee activities relatedto the new business park being developed on 400 acres west of thecity.

Infrastructure for the park, including water, sewer and roadimprovements, is the top priority.

“Without the business park, we’re not where we’re supposed tobe,” Watts said.

The alliance is working with engineer Carl Ray Furr on costestimates and other aspects of the project. Alliance members andFurr plan to meet with U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott andThird District U.S. Rep Chip Pickering and their staffs during nextweek’s trip.

Brumfield said the alliance hopes to be able to develop alimited number of acres to be “shovel ready.” Having the property”shovel ready” would allow an business to begin building once itchooses to locate here.

“We’re not trying to develop the entire park at this time,”Brumfield said.

Bishop stressed the importance of having property ready forbusiness and industry prospects.

“We’ll be passed over if we don’t do our part,” Bishop said. “Todo our part, we’re going to have to have some assistance fromWashington.”

While visiting Franklin County on Saturday, Cochran expressedsupport for the Brookhaven and Lincoln County officials’ businesspark efforts.

“I look forward to working with them on that and helping themachieve their goal,” Cochran said.

Bishop said local officials have been successful in the past ingetting help on a number of projects. He said the challenge will beto secure funding without the commitment of a prospect, which hastypically been a trigger for getting funding help.

“Cliff Brumfield has been working very hard to get commitmentsfor our park,” Bishop said. “His job will be made so much easierwhen infrastructure is completed.”

Local officials have no definite time table for havinginfrastructure in place.

“That’s going to be timed to when money is available to do it,”Bishop said.

Bishop speculated that if a financial commitment from Congresscan be obtained by the end of this year, park work could begin bythe end of 2006.

“It’ll take a little while, but first things first,” Bishop saidof securing funding.

After visiting other new business parks around the state,Brumfield said the development process typically has been four tosix years. He hoped to expedite that as much as possible down to aperiod of around 18 months.

“These are long-term projects and very expensive,” Brumfieldsaid. “We don’t want to drag our feet and miss any opportunity toprovide good-paying jobs for our citizens.”

In addition to the park, officials also would like to obtainfederal funding help for lighting for the Brookway Boulevard exitoff Interstate 55. Efforts to secure state funding have so far beenunsuccessful, and state transportation leaders have indicated theproject is not on its drawing board in the foreseeable future.

“That would not only make that exit safer, but also moreinviting to nighttime traffic to funnel them into our community,”Brumfield said.

Watts is optimistic the business park, lighting project andother economic development efforts will be successful and will helpthe community move forward in the near future.

“It’s going to be an exciting time in Lincoln County in the nextthree years,” Watts said.