A local contractor is owed around $38,000 for work he did on a single-family dwelling as part of a bid through MS Home Corp and South Delta Planning & Development District, but the City of Indianola made it clear this past Monday it could not cut the check for the job.
Spencer Construction, owned by Frederick Spencer, appeared on the agenda Monday night to receive $20,400 from the city for his services. That was to be amended to $38,000 after the city received a second invoice, but City Attorney Kimberly Merchant warned the Board of Aldermen not to pay the funds.
“We cannot pay until we have the money from South Delta,” Merchant said.
Merchant said this was because the city had not contracted with Spencer Construction.
Mayor Ken Featherstone said that he had been in contact with South Delta about getting the money, but he said South Delta informed him that the office of Housing & Urban Development had not released the funds to that organization.
Ward 5 Alderman Sam Brock told the board that other municipalities have paid similar invoices out of the general fund and have put the money back when the reimbursement came in.
Even still, Merchant said the city is powerless because there is no contract between the two entities.
“We have no contract with him,” she said.
Brock insisted the city would be made whole.
“I don’t see where that would hurt our account if we paid him and when the money came in we just put it back in place,” he said.
Brock then asked the city clerk if that could be done, but Featherstone advised that the board needed to listen to legal counsel.
“I’d rather listen to our legal expert, our resident legal expert and not get caught up into anything,” he said.
Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder said the city needed to put pressure on South Delta to get the contractor paid.
“The pressure has been put on South Delta,” Featherstone said.
The board tabled the discussion until its next meeting, which is set to take place before Christmas.
