A risk assessment of port security here may be performed with federal funds.

Monday, members of the Warren County Port Commission heard from Allied Research Associates Inc. employees who would assist in the process and be paid with any grant received.

The Port of Vicksburg is on a list of about 100 &#8220critical ports,” as ranked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

During a half-hour presentation, Jeanne Simmons and Nancy Renfro of ARA said study grants available this year are estimated to $175 million with individual awards of $50,000 to $5 million each.

If a grant is sought and received, ARA will evaluate the risk of terrorism and other criminal acts at the the port using a five-step assessment process also used by the U.S. Coast Guard. Afterward, the company could help put security measures in place.

Similar assistance would be provided to the Vicksburg Bridge Commission in any application for Buffer Zone Protection Grants, in which risk assessment to railroad infrastructure and other potential threats to the Interstate 20 bridge would be studied, Simmons said.

The five-member bridge and port panels are appointed by Warren County supervisors. The bridge group manages the county-owned U.S. 80 crossing of the Mississippi. The port group manages industrial properties for sale or lease.

Based in Albuquerque, N.M., Allied Research Associates Inc. has performed risk and security assessments for the Port of Memphis, the Port of Houston, 14 ports in Florida and the 335-acre Globalplex Intermodal Terminal Port of South Louisiana in Reserve, La. It has operated a division in Vicksburg since 1983.

In other business, the commission tabled discussion on a truck stop and restaurant proposed by local convenience store owner Prem &#8220Pauli” Dhawan, citing the delay in final plans from the Mississippi Department of Transportation as to exit ramp reconstruction near its proposed site.

According to drawings Dhawan presented to the board, the proposed business would sit on 26 acres between Yorozu Automotive Mississippi’s plant and access ramps to Interstate 20 slated for widening.

With MDOT’s plans delayed at least another year due to infrastructure-recovery efforts on the coast, commissioners called any consideration of development there &#8220premature” and deferred action until the state agency’s ramp improvements are more solid.

&#8220We’re not just going to take proposals on that land because MDOT may want to use all of it,” commission chairman Johnny Moss said.

Tonnage reports for March prepared by Kinder-Morgan Terminals Inc. were also presented, showing 13,683 net tons of solid cargo passing through the Port of Vicksburg, generating about $132,000 in revenue for the port.

The tonnage figures were down slightly over February, when just less than 15,000 tons were reported, but still substantially higher than at the same time the two previous years.

Jim Pilgrim, executive director of the Warren County Economic Development Foundation and commission staff member, said it continues to show &#8220the economy is still doing pretty well here,” but said the true measure of Kinder-Morgan’s value as port operator will come when their monthly income reports are totaled at year’s end.

Another marketing strategy session with the port’s bulk terminal operator was planned for this week, Pilgrim said.

The commission voted to go into closed session to discuss a personnel matter. Upon emerging, they voted to increase the monthly salary of Beverly Stewart by $100 per month in accordance with a successful six-month review.

The commission adjourned until May 15 at 3 p.m.