To The Point: What's proposed for Petersburg in Assembly budget packages?

PETERSBURG — The casino referendum legislation might have snatched all the attention for Petersburg in this General Assembly session, but believe it or not, there are other issues brewing that could possibly affect the city, and most of them are related to how much money we will get from the state in fiscal year 2023-24.

Here is a quick look at some of the amendments:

American Rescue Plan Act Funding

Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, and Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Chesterfield County, put amendments into their respective House and Senate budget packages that would shift $650,000 in ARPA dollars from the Ramada Inn removal project in Petersburg to other localities within the Crater Planning District. Specifically, the match funding would cover improvements to fiber online networks or subsidized housing within the selected district. That $650,000 had been put into the second year of the biennium budget.

Poor Creek wastewater improvements

Morrissey and Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie County, asked for an additional $5.5 million in general funding for the continued improvements to the Poor Creek pump station in south Petersburg. That money is added to the first year of the biennium budget where $29.5 million in ARPA grants already has been approved.

The Poor Creek station serves roughly one-third of Petersburg's water and sewer customers. Petersburg is asking for the improvements to accommodate the expected growth of the pharmaceutical cluster in the Petersburg Industrial Park, not to mention the possibility of the casino going across Interstate 95 from that cluster.

Rives Road improvements

Taylor and Morrissey are teaming up again to ask for $500,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2024 to pay for a study of possily widening Rives Road, which traverses part of the Petersburg-Prince George County line, to four lanes. Local officials want the expansion to support present and projected business growth.

This amendment provides $500,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2024 to an analysis of the need to widen Rives Road to four lanes in the Petersburg and Prince George. The widening is needed to support current and future businesses locating in the area.)

Rives Road connects South Crater Road (U.S. Route 301) in Petersburg with County Drive (U.S. Route 460) in Prince George.

Fort Lee museums

Morrissey and Cherry are asking for millions of dollars for an enclave to add direct public access to the museums on Fort Lee, but the wording in them is different. Morrissey wants $2.5 million added to fiscal year 2023 to go to Prince George for the project. Cherry is asking for $3 million in fiscal year 2024 to go to the Crater Planning District Commission to support the enclave.

Dinwiddie County wastewater

Taylor has asked for $1.1 million from FY 2024's general fund that allows the Dinwiddie County Water Authority to complete an engineering report for a new wastewater treatment site on Rohoic Creek. The handling of Dinwiddie's wastewater is currently split between two plants, and with the expected growth of the county's residential and business base, a new site at Rohoic Creek in north Dinwiddie is needed.

The county estimates it would take about five years to bring the Rohoic Creek site online.

Diverting area waste

Taylor and Morrissey have each asked for $2.5 million in FY 2024 to establish a "Waste Diversion Pilot Program" for Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell; and Chesterfield and Henrico counties. The program would offer grants and support in public-private partnerships that get recyclable products out of area waste streams and into re-use in the commercial sector.

Bridge repairs in Petersburg

Two bridges in the city of Petersburg would be the recipient of money, according to a Morrissey amendment.

He asked for $2.5 million to pay for replacement of the Oak Hill Bridge in Petersburg's Battlefield Park area. The bridge was closed last year after inspectors discovered structural failures in the bridge's support and drainage components.

The second amendment requests $1.2 million to renovate the 120-year-old Lafayette Street bridge over Brickhouse Run. The city closed the bridge last October after noticing major erosion around its base as well as age-related loss of some of its structure. As a result, Lafayette Street between Hinton and High streets is closed indefinitely to through traffic.

Appomattox River Trail

Taylor is asking for $6.4 million in FY 2024 general funding to complete the Appomattox River Trail running east-west between Dinwiddie and Hopewell that will also impact Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Prince George. The walking, hiking and biking trail would parallel the Appomattox River and would go a long way toward creating new environmental tourism for the area.he Hopewell area.

Both legislative chambers have passed their budget packages and now must act on the other's version. Traditionally, budget amendments go to a conference committee where differences are reconciled

The Assembly adjourns Feb. 25.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg area asks for amendments to state budget