Owners of businesses and buildings in Hartselle’s Central Business District will get some help with downtown flooding issues in the near future.

The City of Hartselle is publishing a legal notice in today’s edition of the Hartselle Enquirer, which is one of the last steps before the City of Hartselle is cleared to bid out construction on the project.

“This is one of the final checklist items that has to be completed before we are cleared to pursue the next step in the process,” said Department of Development director Jeff Johnson. “Once we receive the publisher’s affidavit, we will forward it on to FEMA so we can proceed as quickly as possible. We have until the end of September to get this project completed.”

The current project will cost about $325,000 and will construct a one-acre retention pond behind the Hartselle City Schools central office. The pond will slow the runoff rainwater that runs into Town Branch, which flows underneath the railroad tracks and into downtown Hartselle.

In 2010, the city was notified that it would receive $245,000 in funding, with the city matching the rest of the project total.

Of the funding that the city received and is matching, only $154,350 is available for a construction contract.

If all goes well, Johnson believes they could bid out the construction project in mid to late March.