The Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority board voted Thursday to hire a new engineering firm, two months after cutting ties with its longtime engineer.

The board hired Decatur-based Pugh Wright McAnally Inc. to do ancillary tasks as needed. Daryl Williamson, chief executive officer of LCWSA, explained the contract could be terminated by the board at any time.

“They do not have an open-ended agreement to do whatever they like,” he said, adding each job would begin with a specific task order.

Board member Ty Smith, who was part of a committee assigned to vet the firm, said he felt the firm provided “quality engineering” and liked the fact the company did not require a long-term agreement.

“Being task-specific was a key part of it,” he said. “They don’t have an open checkbook. We ask them to do (a job) and that’s it. If Daryl needed to use (another firm), this doesn’t restrict us to just using Pugh McAnally.”

At its May meeting, the board voted to fire engineering firm Hethcoat and Davis, based in Brentwood, Tennessee. After the meeting, Smith said he had “lost trust” in the firm.

Despite the majority of the board voting to oust the firm, Hethcoat and Davis was still performing engineering work for a water line improvement project near the Greenbrier Parkway in Huntsville-annexed Limestone.

At Thursday’s meeting, board member Ty Smith made a motion to issue a stop-work order to Hethcoat and Davis. The firm had performed work on two phases of the three-phase project.

“I would like to terminate that contract before any unnecessary work gets started,” he said.

The board did approve a $15,425 payment to the firm Thursday for work on the second and third phases of the project. The projected amount still owed to Hethcoat and Davis after May 30 was a little more than $115,152.

The LCWSA has paid $6.7 million to Hethcoat and Davis since 2008, according to figures provided by the authority.

Attorney Mark Maclin said he would notify the firm the contract has been terminated and request a bill for final services.

Grant expenses

Elsewhere Thursday, the board agreed to hire the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments to ensure the utility was meeting all requirements as part of a $1.2 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant. The funds will be used to upgrade the water line under Interstate 565 that will service GE Aviation and other industries in Huntsville-annexed Limestone.

LCWSA will pay TARCOG about $35,000 to help ensure the correct paperwork is filed and that filing deadlines are met.

“It’s an onerous process and you can get lost in it,” Williamson said.

Board Chairman Jim Moffatt said the $35,000 equals to about 2.8 percent of the grant amount, which he described as “well below what other grant administrators charge.”

“If we didn’t enter into this contract, Daryl would have to hire someone to do this and I don’t know that we could find someone,” he said.