A dispute over a 7-inch difference in dock height threatens toderail the city’s long-pursued Multi-Modal Transportation Facility,aldermen learned as Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Mayor Bob Massengill explained to the board that the ongoingfeud between the Federal Railway Administration and CanadianNational Railroad has become a nationwide problem. Cities all overthe country are having to wait as the two entities refuse to cometo an agreement, with CN saying they will not agree on a dockheight other than 8 inches because of freight trains coming throughand the FRA and Amtrak holding fast to a 15-inch dock height.

To address Brookhaven’s situation, Massengill told the board thecity had asked the Mississippi Department of Transportation forfunds to make a rail siding with a different dock height.

He discussed his meeting with Charles Carr of MDOT. The mayorsaid Carr explained that no federal funds can be used to make asidetrack, which could end up costing between $400,000 and$500,000.

Massengill also brought up a case in Florida where a compromisewas reached between the Federal Transit Authority and CSX Railroadon a similar situation.

“We’re looking into it,” he said.

Massengill said Carr had told him the city could look into thepossibility of building the Multi-Modal Facility without railroadparticipation. The mayor expressed several reservations with thatpossibility.

“I don’t know who would use it if it’s not used as a depot,” themayor said. “And once we get it built, if it’s not being used as amulti-modal facility the city could be asked to pay back the money(federal funding for the project) since it was never used for whatit was meant for.”

Massengill recommended that it be determined what compromise wasmade between the FTA and CSX, keeping in mind that CN was notinvolved in that. If there cannot be a similar compromise reached,Massengill said, the city will not move forward with theproject.

Meanwhile, the board also discussed the cluster lighting at Exit40 of Interstate 55, with Massengill informing aldermen the countyboard of supervisors had agreed to the proposal that MDOT wouldconstruct the lights if the city and county together would maintainthem.

With the high-mast lights at the interchange and 20 other lightsalong the interstate on either side of the exits, the mayor saidthe estimated cost per month would be between $1,200-$1,500.

“The cost would be less if there were only 10 lights along theinterstate,” Massengill said. “We’ll have to see what MDOTproposes.”

The four high-mast light clusters would utilize six 1,000-wattbulbs each that would need to be replaced about once a year. Acrank would lower the fixtures to a height where the bulbs can bereplaced easily.

City Clerk Mike Jinks also reported on a meeting he andMassengill had with Jeffrey Orr of the Federal AviationAdministration and Tommy Booth of MDOT about an Airport Improvement(API) grant for which the city has submitted a preapplication.

Jinks said the money is proposed for two hangar buildings, whichwould hold four hangars each, with the option for a third. The FAAalso recommended the city purchase a third of an acre of no-buildzone on the outskirts of the existing property.

Jinks also clarified that the $900,000 previously discussed byAirport Advisory Committee Chairman Paul Barnett was a bitmisleading, as it also included money for the fence project, apaving project, and various grants.

Massengill said the fuel farm projects are in the works if themunicipal airport receives the API grant next year. He said thecity is excited about the new hangars, however.

“We’ve got a waiting list, so it’ll be great to have thoseadditional hangars,” he said.

The mayor also reminded the board that members of threeengineering firms, Williford Gearhart & Knight, Neal-Schaffer,and Pickering (formerly Engineering Associates) would be on hand atthe Dec. 4 meeting to give presentations on their proposals forhanding the city’s water system expansion.

His suggestion was that aldermen had reviewed proposalssubmitted by seven engineering firms and narrowed them down tothree through a scoring process.

Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell, who did not submit his inputform when they were turned in at the Nov. 6 meeting, asked theboard to accept his late form. The alderman said he was”disappointed” that one of the engineering firms, which was notlisted in the top three, was a local firm that he thought shouldhave been given more consideration.

“It would be well for the city to consider local businesses,”said Maxwell, while making a motion that the scoring bereconsidered.

Massengill discussed the firm selection process.

“Because of the magnitude of this project, we wanted to hearfrom the whole board,” said Massengill, who said that usually acommittee of around three aldermen makes a decision on engineeringprojects. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your form in. I wish youhad.”

Maxwell was a candidate for District 92 House of Representativesand alluded to his campaign involvement as a possible reason fornot submitting his scoring form. His motion for reconsiderationdied for lack of a second.

The board also approved an ordinance to accept the redistrictingmap drawn by Oxford annexation specialist Mike Slaughter. The votewas unanimous, with Maxwell abstaining.

City Attorney Joe Fernald said the approval from the JusticeDepartment could be expected around March of 2008.