Recalculations of federal stimulus money once again have changed what can qualify for funding in Warren County.

Information from Central Mississippi Planning and Development District outlining new guidelines for more than $8 million in Community Development Block Grants for public facilities was a prime topic as supervisors met with county engineers Thursday.

Due dates and details were still subject to change, according to the latest information available to the board. Three-month time frames for infrastructure projects to be bid remain, but selection will be made by a box-drawn, statewide lottery system. About 23 projects have been requested at $350,000 or more each, specified as a maximum by CMPDD. Categories include drainage, fire protection and streets and exclude recreation projects.

County engineers said the lone project that could qualify at this point would be at LeTourneau Road, where about a mile of the westbound lane remains graveled following its washout from last spring’s Mississippi River flooding.

Still, engineers and supervisors said that project could run into trouble for stimulus funding because of CDBG rules stipulating that 51 percent of the surrounding area fall into low-to-moderate income brackets. Vicksburg officials have sought the same information on the city’s Katrina-related block grant intended to pay for a new fire station at Vicksburg Municipal Airport, less than 5 miles to the north of LeTourneau.

An initial round of $12.5 million in transportation funding in March specified 12 projects across the state. None were in Warren County. Officials have said high-priority road resurfacing and bridge replacements could qualify only if additional money from MDOT is made available.

Earlier this week, CMPDD added unemployment figures to formulas to determine stimulus funding for road projects, reportedly at the behest of U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, so more money would go to areas with fewer jobs. It resulted in an extra $3 million for Hinds County, including $3.2 million for Jackson. Hinds’ $6.8 million would double allocations for Rankin and Madison counties, each of which would receive about $1 million less than originally estimated.

Warren County’s unemployment rate for February remained at 8.9 percent, higher than either Hinds, Rankin or Madison. However, supervisors have received information regarding only the block grants, energy efficiency projects for public buildings — $212,800 of which has been specified for Warren County — and $150 million in public facilities money available from the U.S. Department of Commerce to communities nationwide through a competitive process.

Possible items to include in those applications might be new compressors for air conditioning units atop the county courthouse and the annex building behind the jail, and replacement of the overhead crane at the Port of Vicksburg, supervisors said.

In December, the board’s list bulged to more than $250 million worth of projects, including everything from funding a new jail to expansion of road paving.

“We’re still waiting on the rules of this thing,” County Engineer John McKee said.

CMPDD officials have said counties will determine what to give to municipalities. Inside Vicksburg, segments of Clay Street, Indiana Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue will be resurfaced if applications for more than $940,000 in stimulus funds are approved.

Overall, Mississippi is in line for about $2.8 billion from the stimulus bill signed by President Obama in February.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com.