Work has begun on the extension of Ethridge Street near Bush Hog.

Selma Mayor George Evans said preliminary work had begun this week.

“They have flags out there right now,” he said.

The news disappointed some residents who live around the area of the plant. During Tuesday’s meeting of the Selma City Council, Curtis Marks handed council members a copy of the memorandum of understanding that sealed the deal on the streets.

“We were promised a street would be put in and the road extended before streets were closed around Bush Hog,” he said.

Evans said the city has waited on Norfolk Southern Railroad to grant permission to cross its right of way with the street extension. The railroad had insisted the city place signals with bells and lights at the intersection. These safety devices are costly, said the mayor, and the city has tried to have the railroad company waive the more expensive equipment.

Evans apologized for the project taking so long.

Council President Cecil Williamson said he is frustrated with the six months the engineers, Goodwyn Mills and Cawood have taken to come up with the plans for the street extension.

“I do not understand this and if the engineering firm Goodwyn Mills and Cawood doesn’t get on the stick, it will not do more work for the city,” Williamson said.

Marks and another resident, Willie Houston, also complained to council members about an electrical wire placed inside the chain-link fence surrounding the plant.

“It could hurt the kids in the area,” Houston said.

Evans replied the electrical wire is on the inside of the company’s fence about 8 inches.

“That wire is not on in the day at any time,” Evans said. “That wire is on late at night.”

The wire is designed to prevent people from cutting through the fence and stealing equipment stored on site.

Machael Pate, a spokesman for Electric Guard Dog, which installs the fencing, said the charge will deliver a shock to someone, but will not seriously injure a person.

Pate said he installed the wire at Bush Hog and has nine other installations in the city just like it for eight year.

“Nobody has ever been hurt and there has never been an accidental death,” Pate told the council.