HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-09-1996 Meeting
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
COMMITTEE
PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING
January 9, 1996
1:30 P.M.
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PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; Powell, Chairman;
Todd; Vice-Chairman; Handy; J. Brigham', members; Jim Wall,
Interim Attorney; A. B. McKie, Jr., Controller; Cheryl Nelson
of the Finance Department; Charles Dillard, Interim Urban
Services Administrator; Linda Beazley, Interima Suburban Services
Administrator; Drew Goins, Asst. Corn. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering; Max Hicks, General Supt. of Waterworks Operations;
Torn Wiedmeier, Director of Water Pollution Control; Harry
Hartley, Asst. Director of Public Works; Alma Stephenson, Manager
of Consolidated Revenue; Millard Gooding, Public Works Director;
Jack Murphy, Mike Greene, Jim Leiper and David Smith of the
Public Works Department; George McElveen, Director of waterworks;
Mike Amerson and Homer Moore of the Traffic Engineering
Department; Robert Leverett, RCCI Warden; Lena Bonner, Clerk
of Commission-Council and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of
Commission-Council.
Also Present: Wayne Partridge of the Augusta Chronicle,
George Eskola of WJBF Television, Cordell Whitlock of WRDW
Television and Hons. Beard, H. Brigham and Bridges,
Commissioners.
Communication from the Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering requesting authorization to place the proposed
realignment of Young Street at Walton Way intersection on the
County Contract Projects Construction Priority List. This
project will consist of realignment of Young Street with st.
Sebastian Way at Walton Way and signalization improvements.
The estimated cost of this project is approximately $125,000.
If approved by the Committee, we will add to the existing County
Contract Projects Construction Priority List for approval by
the State, was read.
Mr. Todd: I move it be approved.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering stating DOT's Right-of-Way Coordinator on the Walton
Way and 13th Street Intersection Improvements project, Mr. Bobby
Brantley, has called requesting the status of the right-of-way
acquisition. As you may be aware, DOT policy is that right-
of-way be acquired prior to letting projects to contract. Listed
below is the status of each of the parcels:
Parcel Owner Value
1 Augusta Rehab. Center $ 5,910
2 Betty A. Pender/Robert 9,138
R. Harley
status
Option signed.
Option signed.
3 Richmond County Hospital 3,245 Donation agreement.
Authority
4 J. B. Fuqua 2,130 Option signed.
c/o Wilma Tinsley
The 1996 Capital Budget allocated the funds for this project.
We recommend proceeding with the purchase of right-of-way so
that the project can be let to contract, was read.
Mr. Todd: I move that it be approved and that we send
the entity that donated the property a letter of thanks from
the Board of Commissioners.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering stating we received a request from the Rev. Donald
A. Fishburne, Rector of st. Paul's Church on Reynolds Street,
to install the brick columns and landscaping buffer along their
parking lot area as was placed along the other blocks of Reynolds
Street. The Church proposes to provide plumbing for irrigation
at their expense if we accomplish the brickwork and landscaping.
If approved by the Committee, the cost of this work would be
approximately $1,200 and could be handled through the existing
ongoing contract on the 500 block of Reynolds Street, was read.
Mr. Todd: What would be the funding source?
Mr. Goins: One-cent money. That's what the work on
Reynolds Street one block away is being charged to.
Mr. Todd: I move that we postpone until the next meeting
for further study.
Motion dies for lack of a second.
Mr. Handy: I make a motion it be approved.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Mr. Todd: I am somewhat concerned about the scope of work
we're doing with a private, non-profit and whether it's something
we could justify doing out of one-cent to the extent that are
we totally on right-of-way or are we off right-of-way?
Mr. Goins: It's a five foot landscaping easement that
would have to be acquired as was done on the other private
properties in the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of Reynolds Street.
The intent here is to provide a screening for the parking areas
and beautify the area a little bit.
Motion adopted with Mr. Todd voting "No".
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Communication from the Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering stating as the Committee members may be aware, the
42" raw water line which runs from the Pumping 'Station on the
Augusta Canal to the raw water reservoir on'Highland Avenue
ruptured on December 15, 1995. The rupture took the line out
of service and caused significant property damage. The property
damage claims have been negotiated for settlement with the
property owners. The cost on the property claims is estimated
at approximately $300,000. We have authorized Zimmerman, Evans
and Leopold, Consulting Engineers, to investigate the break
and prepare a report which will include our options as to the
future use of the line. We expect the report to be completed
by the end of January. We are presently pumping raw water thru
our alternate 36" and 30" raw water lines and are confident
we can meet the needs of the water system using the best
management practices with our remaining lines. This will afford
us the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding the
future use of the 42" lines, was read.
Mr. Goins: This is being submitted for information.
Mr. Brigham: I move we receive this as information.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of
Engineering requesting authorization to place the proposed
intersection improvements on Laney Walker Blvd., Central Avenue
and wrightsboro Road Corridors on the County Contract Projects
Construction Priority List. These projects will include turning
radius, pedestrian access and signalization improvements at
each of the following intersections:
Laney-Walker Blvd. and cross streets - 12th st., 11th st.,
9th st. and Twiggs St.: Total cost $265,000.
Central Avenue and cross streets - Troupe st., Hickman
Rd., Heard Ave. and Baker st.: Total cost $212,000.
Wrightsboro Road and cross streets - Jordan Rd., Heard
Ave., Troupe St., Winter st. and Johns Rd.: Total cost $260,000.
If approved by the Committee, we will add the proposed
improvements to the existing County Projects Construction
Priority List for consideration by the State, was read.
Mr. Todd: I move that we postpone this' until the next
meeting. We have some other areas we need to look at also.
Mr. Chairman: Second the motion.
Mr. Brigham: What kind of improvements are these?
Mr. Goins: It includes signalization improvements as well
as radius cutbacks and some pedestrian access improvements.
The majority of the cost is for signalization. These are
projects listed in the one-cent for improvements and we were
trying to get some State participation and that was the reason
for putting this on the priority list.
Mr. Handy: Jack, could we get some help with this?
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Mr. Murphy: You could try to get some State participation
but I don't know whether they will do it or not.
Mr. Greene: Presently we're working off an existing
priority list on County contracts with DOT and projects are
already in place. Should projects be reprioritized or we would
end up with two lists up there and we can't do that. This is
something we need to work on as far as reprioritizing our County
contract list and resubmitting a list with DOT.
Mr. Chairman: I'll handle that under other business.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Director of Trees and Parks/
Cemeteries stating due to the resignations and extensive layoffs
resulting from the June 1995 reduction in work force (RIF) with
the City of Augusta, the present level of staffing is as follows:
Allocations Pre RIF: Current Permanent staff:
Trees & Parks 40 27
Cemeteries 25 12 I
Total 65 Total 39
(loss of 26 workers)
14 temporary workers are
in addition to current 39
but termination will occur
in 90 days.
Consideration is requested to critically review the staffing
needs of Trees and Parks and Cemetery Departments to continue
the level of services expected and previously rendered.
Consider ing that the 1996 Budget parameters stated "no changes
in personnel" and a subsequent hiring freeze is presently in
place, staffing needs are requested to be addressed prior to
permanent Budget, was read.
Mr. Smith: In June it was necessary for us to cut our
personal services $395,000, which was $176,000 for six months.
We had to layoff 26 people and we're deficient 26 people so
for general information, prior to spring in order to handle
our load to keep the Cemeteries perpetually cared for, we need
to look into our staffing or transfer in from another department
or whatever. We had 65 people. We have 39 people and we've
got 14 temporary workers who are on the payroll until permanent
budget. When they're gone, we're down to a bare minimum crew.
We take care of three cemeteries, Riverwalk, Pendleton Park
and all the City streets and beautification. I'm asking that I
this be reviewed perhaps at another meeting to see exactly how
inadequate we are.
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Mr. Chairman: Do you have it in your budget to put these
26 people back to work?
Mr. Smith: Yes. And we will have expanded duties.
Mr. Powell:
information and
to take care of
I think you're asking us to receive this as
come back with a plan and see what we can do
it.
Mr. Todd: Have you considered transferring a function
out, maybe like urban forestry or trees to Forestry Service
or the County Extension Office?
Mr. Smith: That may be a possibility but we have a totally
trained staff in place now to do that.
Mr. Todd: I move that we accept the report as information
and that we review it and have something ready for the next
meeting.
Mr. Brigham: Second the motion.
Mr. Chairman: Could you amend the motion as far as us
to maybe set a sub-committee on this to study it?
Mr. Todd: Yes, I so move.
Mr. Brigham: I'll accept that.
Mr. Smith: We do use people from the Stockade but the
number varies from week to week and when the Sheriff's Department
took over the Stockade, inmates were deprived of this at least
temporarily.
Mr. Todd: Wouldn't he have access to inmates Countywide
now?
Mr. Mayor: If they have enough, he might could.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Asst. Director of Public Works
stating I see on my tentative budget for 1996 you have cut out
the one cent sales tax money for the Public Works
Department/Streets and Drains Division for its materials and
supplies. For the following code numbers:
340-320-730-000 Operating Supplies & Material $
340-320-730-071 Street Repairs & Maintenance
340-320-730-072 Sidewalk Improvements
340-320-730-074 Barricade Materials
Grand Total
I need these monies put back in my tentative
under the following code numbers:
27,200.00
40,000.00
40,000.00
4,000.00
$111,200.00
budget for 1996
111-320-730-073 Operating Supplies & Materials $ 27,200.00
111-320-730-071 Street Repairs & Maintenance 40,000.00
111-320-730-072 Sidewalk Improvement 40,000.00
111-320-730-074 Barricade Materials 4,000.00
Grand Total $111,200.00
This is what I buy sewer pipes, asphalt, concrete, pipe grease,
rubbers, barricades, barricade lights, batteries, was read.
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Mr. Hartley: We have some money in our budget for the
one-cent sales tax which they were using for code 340-320-
730-000. All this was taken from my budget and this is what
we were operating on before and it left me with no money for
operation. Before the one-cent sales tax money carne out, we
had this money in general funds but I now have no operating
budget.
Mr. Chairman: What was the amount of your operating budget
previously?
Mr. Hartley: $111,200.
Mr. Brigham: What phase of sales tax money is this?
Mr. Hartley: Phase II.
Mr. Chairman: Mr. McKie, have we any way to get him some
operating money?
Mr. McKie: These were operating supplies charged to sales
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tax.
Mr. Chairman: Shouldn't they be corning out of the general
fund?
Mr. McKie: Yes, sir. Those things will have to be
reconsidered and put back over in the general fund. We have
some contingency in the Urban Services District budget so I
can move this amount or some amount out of contingency and into
operating supplies.
Mr. Todd: I move that he move the amount for one quarter
as an interim operating budget for FY96.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Mr. Chairman: Let the record show that we can revisit
this before that quarter is up.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Asst. Director of Public Works
stating I have received my tentative budget for 1996 for the
Public Works Department/Sanitation Division. I see you have
cut several line items such as:
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For the following code numbers:
1. 111-330-990-101 Containers (Commercial) $
2. 111-330-835-000 Other Services
3. 111-330-843-000 Telephone
4. 111-330-863-000 Copier Rental
Grand Total
These monies are for:
1. 111-330-990-101 Maintain our containers in various
departments, to buy paint, metal, plus replace old dumpsters
in the Augusta Housing Authority projects. (there are
eight projects)
111-330-835-000 Recycling processing fees at the North
Augusta Murf Facilities which we have a contract with.
111-330-843-000 This code pays for the telephone in this
department.
111-330-863-000 This code maintains contract on copier
machine, was read.
25,000.00
263,340.00
600.00
200.00
$289,140.00
2.
3.
4.
Mr. Hartley: This is for the Sanitation Department. The
money was taken out of the budget. We have dumpster service
in the housing projects and we have to maintain those dumpsters
plus the other service charges. Our dumpster service is $25,000
and we have other services, such as our contract with North
Augusta, that were taken out which comes up to $263,340. Our
telephone service was $600 and our copier rental was taken out.
These came from general funds.
Mr. Todd: How long is the contract with North Augusta?
Mr. Hartley: Two more years.
Mr. Leiper: The more waste we can get out at the Landfill,
the better our budget will look from a revenue standpoint.
I think there would also be some benefit in the reduced disposal
fees that are realized by the Urban Services District from what
they're currently paying taking it to North Augusta.
Mr. Todd: I make a motion that we give them a first quarter
approval to continue with North Augusta so the attorneys can
take a look at the contract and see whether we have an option
out.
Mr. Brigham: I'll second it for discussion purposes but
I have some real problems with the funding for this.
Mr. Wall: Mr. Dillard spoke to me this morning about this
and he is in the process of scheduling a meeting for next week
to review this. I do have a copy of the contract and I would
ask that you give us an opportunity to look at this and study
it.
Mr. Chairman: What if we appointed a sub-committee to
do this and make you a part of it?
Mr. Wall: That would be fine.
Mr. Todd: I'll so amend my motion.
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Mr. Brigham: I'll accept that.
Mr. Chairman: Could we get that reread?
The Clerk: The motion was to give them one quarter
financing and allow a sub-committee to be appointed to look
into it.
Mr. Chairman: Are the funds available for one quarter,
Mr. McKie?
Mr. McKie: Yes, sir. We have some in contingency to do
it.
Mr. Todd: Do we derive revenue from the Housing Authority
for their garbage pickup?
Mr. Hartley: No, sir. They are like a residential area
and we provide them with the service.
Mr. Chairman: I'm going ahead and appoint the sub-
committee. I'd like Mr. Wall, Mr. Dillard, Mrs. Beazley, Mr.
Jim Leiper, Mr. David Smith, Mr. Hartley to serve on that.
I'll also appoint Mr. Todd to represent the Commission.
Motion adopted unanimously.
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Communication from the Asst. Director of Public Works
stating the Public Works Department, Streets & Drains Division
and the Sanitation Division need to operate in a more efficient
and timely manner, but we cannot get there without proper
personnel and the proper equipment and the supporting functions
that it takes to run a city such as Augusta. Currently the
Public Works Department Streets and Drains Division is allowed
39 employees, but we only have 34 on the payroll. The Public
Works Department Sanitation Division is allowed 38 employees
but we only have 31 on the payroll. (Two of those in this
department are out on workers compensation.) The Public Works
Department Community Development Sidewalk crew is allowed 5
but we only have 3 on its payroll. These monies are paid thru
the Community Development funds. I'm asking that you bring
the Public Works Department Streets and Drains Division,
Sanitation Divison and Community Development Sidewalk Division
back to full staff, was read.
Mr. Hartley: We are shorthanded with personnel to maintain
our streets, our storm drains, our Sanitation Department. We
are getting further behind in picking up the garbage and the
rough trash and I'm not asking for any extra people, just enough
to fill the positions we have vacant to bring us back up to
staff.
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Mr. Chairman: How many positions are you short?
Mr. Hartley: I'm short ten people.
Mr. Todd: I think we should be concerned about adding
new jobs or replacement jobs to anyone department until it
can be determined that these jobs will not have any negative
impact on consolidation.
Mr. Brigham: I make a motion we receive this as
information.
Mr. Todd: Second.
Mr. Handy: Are we short in our department?
Mr. Greene: Yes, we are.
Mr. Beard: Since I was familiar with the urban services
district, I know that we do need these people because garbage
is on the streets and it has to be picked up. There was a
drastic cutback at one time and we haven't been able to hire
anyone. This is an emergency as far as I'm concerned and should
be addressed.
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Mr. Todd: Could we use inmate labor to ride the trucks
and help with the situation or transfer some people?
Mr. Powell: How many are you short in Sanitation?
Mr. Hartley: We're short 10 people and in Streets & Drains,
I do use some of those people now to help pick up the garbage
and I'm short four in that division. I'm a total of 14 short.
Mr. Chairman: Mr. Mayor, do you have any solution to this
problem?
Mr. Mayor: Have you tried using inmate labor before?
Mr. Hartley: We couldn't put the inmate labor on the back
of a garbage truck. You have to have a certified officer to
stay with the inmates.
Mr. Dillard: They wouldn't allow us to put them on the
trucks and we did make that effort at one time. The drivers
have to have CDL licenses also.
Mr. Todd: I think we can transfer some drivers in and
maybe it deserves some study.
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Mr. Mayor: How critical is the waste on the streets now?
Mr. Hartley: There is a lot of garbage on the streets
including leaves, limbs and other debris. We're working as
hard as we can to get it up and we're just getting farther
behind.
Mr. Powell: Maybe we can ask Mr. Henry Brigham to check
with the warden at RCCI and see if he can provide some help.
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Mr. Brigham: I'll call him and see what he can do.
Mr. Powell: Are these employees in your budget for next
year?
Mr. Hartley: Yes, sir. These people I'm asking for would
just bring me back to staff I have in the budget.
Mr. Powell: Do we have a concensus that this is what we
want to do?
Committee members indicate their agreement.
Mr. Mayor: What happens if we can't use the inmates?
Mr. Todd: I would amend my motion to allow the Mayor to
make a decision if it is not feasible or possible to go ahead
and authorize the hiring of temporary employees to fill that
function with the understanding that they are on a 90-day hiring
authority or six months hiring authority until we can assess
our situation.
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Mr. Brigham: I'll accept that.
Mr. Chairman: would funds be available to do that with?
Mr. McKie: For what period of time?
Mr. Chairman: Up to six months.
Mr. McKie: I think we can but we haven't really talked
about the consolidated budget yet and some of the issues we're
going to have to face. I can identify with the contingency
but I have some concerns that I want to bring to all of you
about the overall budget.
Mr. Chairman: Would you accept that as an amendment, Mr.
Todd, pending the availability of these funds?
Mr. Todd: Yes, I would.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed the proposed water and sewer
rates structure recommendations.
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Mr. McElveen: Mr. Jack Armstrong and Mr. Kenneth Green
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are here from ZEL Engineers to give an overview of the study
they have prepared.
Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Green made a presentation regarding
the proposed equalization of the water and sewer rates in both
the City and County systems.
Mr. Todd: I would like to make a motion that we postpone
making any decision on this until the next meeting and receive
it as information and that we take a closer look at it and talk
with the consultants.
Mr. Brigham: I'll second it.
Mr. George Cunningham: I am vitally concerned about the
effects of this on business and industry in this area.
Mr. Hicks: There is a chart in the study that pertains
to that.
Mr. Todd: Do you see any problem with postponing this
for a week or two, Mr. Wall?
Mr. Wall: I don't think so because you bill for water
that has already been used and it would have to be prorated
as of January 1. Most everyone will be getting a decrease and
I think it can be done.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed water and sewer tap and meter
fees.
Mr. Brigham: I move that we table this at the same time.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed the matter of water tank
painting and maintenance (as needed or maintenance contract).
Mr. Hicks: I wanted to bring this up mainly from the
standpoint that we have one water tank that is desperately in
need of painting and that's the Belair Road tank. It's estimated
that because there is lead in the paint, that it will cost
roughly $280,000 to paint because of the shrouding and lead
abatement procedures that will be necessary. As opposed to
that, there is a provision whereby we could enter into a
maintenance contract with a firm who would do the painting and
allow us to pay them over three years. It might be a benefit
to go to that type of program. I wanted to know if you would
be receptive to such an idea to the extent that we could ask
a company to come in and perhaps meet with a sub-committee
or the Committee and discuss this.
Mr. Todd: I move that we allow Mr. Hicks to go out for
proposals to paint the tanks on a maintenance agreement versus
the other and bring it back to us and also we would like the
new seal of the government on those tanks.
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Mr. Brigham: I'll second it.
Mr. McElveen: We are in the process of advertising for
bids for three of our tanks and we have advertised the bids
to include a maintenance contract as a separate figure and then
once we get those bids in, then we're able to do some research
on it and see if it's feasible and then make a recommendation
to the Committee.
Mr. Chairman: Is this something you two could get together
on when you go out for this proposal so it could all be done
at one time and save us some money?
Mr. McElveen: Yes.
Mr. Chairman: Did you have this in your budget?
Mr. Hicks: This was carried under Engineering and Public
Works budget for the City.
Mr. Goins: This was included in the capital budget but
that hasn't been approved yet.
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Mr. Chairman: The motion has been amended pending funding.
Is there further discussion?
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next considered the matter of meter specs,
chemical specs and stock items for the Waterworks Department.
Mr. Hicks: These can be considered together. We need
your approval to combine those advertisements and then receive
those bids. We also need to know which Purchasing Department
would handle this.
The Clerk: We could send out two separate specs but the
companies would know that this is a bulk price and hopefully
give us better prices.
Mr. McElveen: I think any purchases like this that we
might be able to combine could be worked on administratively
together.
Mr. Hicks: I have looked at the chemicals we both use
and we do plan to combine them.
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Mr. Todd: I move that we allow them to get together and
make the purchases jOintly with the Waterworks directors and
both Purchasing Departments working together on it and they
report back to us on what goes out.
Mr. Brigham: I'll second it.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Mr. Chairman: Mr. Leverett is here now and I'd like to
revisit item 9. Mr. Leverett, we have a problem in the City
with a lot of debris being piled up in the streets and they
do not have enough employees to get it all up. At the request
of the Mayor we wanted to see if we could form some type of
task force using inmate labor in order for us to do an extensive
clean up.
Mr. Leverett: I'll need to get with Roads and Bridges
to see if they can afford to let the crews go. I send the work
crews to them in the mornings and they assign them out to work.
We do not have any extra crews at this time to send to the City.
Mr. Chairman: What would it take for us to come up with
some additional inmate crews? I'm sure we have the inmates.
Mr. Leverett: I do not have them presently at the
institution. I have 200 and they are all assigned to work.
Mr. Chairman: Could you shift some days around, maybe,
to go in and do this?
Mr. Greene: We're short but we'd be willing to look at
it and see what we could come up with.
Mr. Mayor: I think we need to look at the cost. If we
need to buy a vehicle and supply guards, we can probably hire
temps a lot cheaper than that and put them on the roads
immediately.
Mr. Brigham: Can we use misdemeanor convicts non-
supervised on garbage trucks without having them in a crew?
Mr. Leverett: We can.
Mr. Brigham: So we don't necessarily have to hire guards
if we supply them to Sanitation and basically let Robert be
responsible for making sure they get back?
Mr. Leverett: It doesn't have to be a certified
correctional officer. We can use the driver as the supervisor.
I normally do a background investigation on each driver and
send them to school for 20 hours and do this yearly. This
training teaches them how to supervise.
Mr. Handy: We could get some temporary people and go ahead
and get it done.
Mr. Todd: Can you work them on Saturdays?
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Mr. Leverett: You can work them on Saturdays but you must
give them a day off during the week.
Mr. Todd: I think we can make it work by pulling a crew
here and there.
Mr. Hartley: We would have problems transporting them
back and forth and the driver being responsible.
Mr. Handy: It's a good idea to study this but we need
to go ahead and get it done.
Mr. Chairman: I guess it's up to you, Mr. Mayor, to go
ahead and handle it.
The Clerk: So the motion will be to allow the Mayor to
go ahead and hire temps subject to availability of funds?
Mr. Chairman: Right.
Mr. Todd: The initial motion stands and that was if plan
A didn't work, go to PLan B.
Mr. Chairman: Can we adopt Plan B in a motion?
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Mr. Todd:
to vote against
can make things
I wish you would because I'd love the opportunity
it because I don't buy into it. I think you
work if you want to.
Mr. Handy:
But we don't have the time right now.
Mr. Chairman: We'll just
work then we'll adopt Plan B.
next Committee meeting.
let it stand. If Plan A doesn't
I'd like to revisit this at the
The Committee next discussed the status of projects (Special
1% Sales Tax - Phase II).
Mr. Greene: We have a number of projects under Phase II
that are under construction. These will corne off the County
contract list because we have the approval through the DOT.
In conjunction with that, looking at Phase II, we need to
consider revisiting the County contract list, setting priorities
and combining these lists and submitting a new priority list
to DOT. And that would be our recommendation to you that we
start to work on this and present it back to the Committee.
Mr. Murphy: I want to highlight those projects that are
near term and could go to letting very soon. Number one would
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be Boykin Rd. drainage improvements and we need to order the
checks. East Augusta drainage improvements is now being
advertised. We will open bids on February 6. On Hyde Park
drainage, we have reviewed the preliminary plans and Toole
Engineers are making the revisions. On Jackson Road widening
we lack one parcel on the very end. On Rae's Creek Channel
Improvements Section II the people who did not get flooded don't
want the project. We also added the improvement of the sanitary
sewer system in the area there. When you get a county contract
from the Georgia DOT, you get it under contract. It can corne
off the County contract list and you need to push everything
up or revise the list and start your process over again. It
has to be an active list all the time.
Mr. Handy: I move that we accept this as information.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Mr. Todd: Could we act on this within the next 60 days
in order for us to do what we need to do?
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed the list of projects (Special
1% Sales Tax - Phase III).
Mr. Murphy: We've taken the list that was voted on by
the Commissioners and compiled it by year. The years are
assigned by the projects. We have several questions we want
to ask about this list. In December the Commission voted to
start the project on Skinner Mill Road. That project is listed
in Phase III in the year 2000. So if the funds are moved from
2000 to '96, what do we do in relation to this list we have?
Are you going to revisit this list and readopt priorities?
Mr. Handy: We would have to.
Mr. Todd: There may be some emergency situations that
may arise but I think the most important projects are the storm
drainage projects where folks are being flooded. We have already
prioritized a list of those projects and I'm not willing to
reprioritize anything else until I'm assured that those projects
are taken care of. I'd be willing to vote on a motion to accept
this as information and ,that we look at the priority
recommendations from the Public Works and get back with you.
Mr. Handy: Mike, you need to come back to us with a list
of what needs to be done.
Mr. Chairman: If it's something we've already approved,
it's up to you to make some recommendations on how we will
restructure it.
Mr. Todd: I move that we accept this as information.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
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Communication from the Public Works Director submitting
Change Order Number One for the Old waynesboro Road @ Spirit
Creek Bridge Repair project in the amount of $6,000. This change
order reflects the cost of encasing approximately 32 LF of
deteriorating bridge piling that is outside the scope of the
original contract. Georgia Department of Transportation has
committed to participate in this additional work cost in the
amount of $790.40. Funds for this change should come from
project contingencies. Current project contingencies show a
balance of $17,197. Approval is recommended, was read.
Mr. Brigham: I so move.
Mr. Todd: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Public Works Director stating the
Georgia Department of Transportation in the course of
constructing the Bobby Jones Expressway extension is installing
a drainage system between the ramps where the Bobby Jones crosses
over Laney Walker Boulevard. By joining with our East Augusta
Drainage Improvements project their project will enhance the I
operation of our system. Attached is a letter from the Georgia
Department of Transportation requesting payment in the amount
of $10,547.85 for their project to connect with East Augusta.
This amount is built into our project costs and no additional
funding is expected to be required. Approval of this payment
to the Georgia Department of Transportation is therefore
recommended, was read.
Mr. Todd: I move for approval.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Public Works Director submitting
for approval the deed of dedication, maintenance agreement and
road resolution for Skinner Mill Road Extension, was read.
Mr. Brigham: I move that we accept the deed of dedication.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Public Works Director stating bids
were opened for the Lock and Dam Bridge Replacement @ Butler
Creek project on January 5, 1996 with five contractors turning
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in bids with Gregory Bridge Company being the low bidder at
$334,126.35. These bids have been reviewed and tabulated and
it is recommended that award be made to Gregory Bridge Company,
was read.
Mr. Todd: I so move.
Mr. Brigham: I'll second it.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Public Works Director stating
attached is Capital Project Number Two in the amount of $80,000
for the Barton Chapel Road Improvements project. These funds
are set aside in Special One Percent Sales Tax, Phase I for
this project. Preliminary engineering is complete on this
project and funds are needed to acquire the necessary rights
of way. Approval of the amendment is therefore recommended,
was read.
Mr. Todd: I so move.
Mr. Handy: I second to get it on the floor.
Ms. Nelson: Funding is available.
Mr. Chairman: We're planning on widening Wrightsboro Road
all the way out. We may want to look into some DOT funding
at that intersection when we start that project, if it can be
done.
Mr. Murphy: Yes, sir.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed unpaved roads to be approved
for paving by inhouse forces:
Gracewood Drive (R.R. to Clanton Road Extension)
Clanton Road Extension (Clanton Road to deadend)
Black Road (SR 56 West to deadend)
Crockett Road (Brown Road to Hephzibah-McBean Road)
Westbrook Road (Brown Road to Hephzibah-McBean Road)
Louisa Road (Highway #25 to Mims Road)
Railroad Avenue (Hephzibah) Unpaved section
Ebeneezer Road (Hephzibah) Unpaved section,
Mr. Greene: We have $964,000 remaining in our budget for
Phase II so we do have the funds in house. We will bring back
an exact dollar figure because there is some minor drainage
on some of these that we have to look at. They have many people
living on them and they are a repeated maintenance problem.
Mr. Todd: I so move.
Mr. Handy: I second it. McCombs Road isn't on this list?
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Mr. Green: Part of McCombs Road is on the county contract
list. The other part is on the sales tax list for '97.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed resurfacing of road with
inhouse forces: Seago Road and Mims Road.
Mr. Greene: This is to add these streets to the list of
roads the Commission has already approved. We have $220,000
remaining in our budget.
Mr. Handy: I move for approval.
Mr. Todd: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed the inspection of Combined
Sewer Overflow Projects.
Mr. Murphy: We have five inspectors who could look after
inspections. In the spirit of cooperation what we would like
for you to do is to rethink the $285,000 Raytheon contract
extension that you approved last Tuesday and consider the
Suburban inspectors looking after the combined sewer overlow
projects.
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Mr. Goins: It's my understanding that we had looked at
the capabilities of the inspectors on staff and while I'm sure
they have the ability to do the work, the work load was going
to be beyond their capability. Now I'm hearing something
different.
Mr. Gooding: I believe you had talked to me about that
in the beginning. I told you at the time that we had one man
we could assign but now we have enough inspectors available
that we can cover it all.
Mr. Goins: If it can be worked out, that's fine. I would
caution you that we are under mandates and these projects need
to be done in a timely manner and the projects are ongoing at
this time.
Mr. Todd: I so move that we use the County inspectors
and that they do it in a timely manner because we are under
a consent order from EPD.
Mr. Brigham: I'll second.
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Mr. Chairman: I asked Mr. Goins to hold up on awarding
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that contract until we could get it out here and discuss it and I
think in all fairness to Mr. Goins and his concerns are we're
under mandate and we've got a deadline on this thing. I want to
make sure that we understand that we are under mandate to get
this done and I want to know if there's going to be any problems
now in doing it.
Mr. Murphy:
know my people.
I know some of the background of Raytheon.
We can do it better and quicker.
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Mr. Todd: As an amendment to my motion, I think we need to
make a recommendation to the full board that we rescind the
action of last Tuesday on the change order with the other entity.
Mr. Mayor: If these inspectors have that much time on their
hands, then what are they doing now?
Mr. Murphy: They don't have an excess amount of time. They
work every day. When you look at $285,000 the government is
going to spend for inspections, we can do more and capture that
money.
Mr. Mayor: I understand that we can do it but can we do it
in a timely manner so we don't come up short?
Mr. Murphy: Our inspectors will not hold the contract up.
We are just trying to help.
Mr. Goins: And we'll accept that help graciously. My
primary concern is that we're under mandate and under daily fines
and any additional time costs us money.
Mr. Todd: I think we need to go for it and do it.
Mr. Chairman: Mr. Goins, if you see you have any problem in
this, I'd like you to bring it back before the Committee and
we'll go ahead and hold that up and rescind that action that was
taken last Tuesday.
Mr. Goins: I'd like the opportunity to speak with the
inspectors on the job and let them give me some kind of time
commitment and have them come to me as it affects that particular
job so that it can be streamlined.
Mr. Chairman: I think Mr. Goins is saying he is responsible
and he wants some reports given to him and them to keep him
abreast of what is going on.
Motion adopted unanimously.
The Committee next discussed ways to improve the morale of
Public Works employees.
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Mr. Gooding: I have some recommendations here that might
help the morale of our employees.
Mr. Brigham: I move that we accept this as information and
forward it to Mr. Carstarphen.
Mr. Todd: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Mr. Green: We have one question. Any items that are to go
on the full Commission agenda, if it's a routine item, do we
bring all items through the Committee and if it's an emergency
item or something we don't have time for the full Committee, do
we still have the authorization to place it on the full
Commission agenda?
Mr. Chairman: Let me clarify what I think was done in the
retreat. Everything that's under the Urban Services District
should go to the Administrator over the Urban Services District
and everything from the Suburban Services District should go to
the Administrator over the Suburban District and it will go on
the Committee agenda. If it's an emergency, you can take it to
the same person. You'll be notified of a schedule for the
Committee meetings.
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Mr. Chairman: I have one item I'd like to bring up.
Kuhlke brought it to my attention about the water tank at
college. They want to move that and I think Mr. Hicks is
familiar with it.
Mr.
Augusta
Mr. Hicks: It would cost the government roughly $25,000 to
$30,000 to remove that tank down to the concrete foundation and
to haul the material off". This estimate came from Jeff Shelton
with Utility Service, Inc. They are familiar with the tank and
are in the business of dismantling and demolishing existing water
tanks so that can be considered a fair budget estimate. In
return for that, the College was willing to put aside the present
agreement that we have for waiving the water service fees. In
that the government would generate an additional $36,000 to
$37,000 in water fees so we'd pay it off during the first year.
So I recommended that we accommodate the College in their
request.
Mr. Todd: I make a motion that we add this to the agenda.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
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Mr. McElveen: They listed that beginning July of 1997 they
would be willing to pay the water bill. I haye a recommendation
of why not July of 1996. If we are going to expend that money
right away, we could start recouping the money this year instead
of next.
Mr. Hicks: I had said that I would support accommodating
their request but one of the items that needed to be addressed
was when would the money be invested. We don't know how quickly
the College wants to move with the development of the new Science
Center. If they want to proceed immediately, then we'd have the
question of "Do we invest our money now and begin to recover
later?" If they don't need to proceed immediately, then there's
no problem. I would just say that we not invest our money until
we have to.
Mr. Todd: I move to get it on the floor for discussion the
recommendation that we do it.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Mr. Chairman: How will this affect our water service?
Mr.
College.
go ahead
Hicks: No problem. We have sufficient service to the
We would also generate additional sewer revenue if they
and build that building.
Mr. Chairman: Is it practical to reuse the tank?
Mr. Hicks: No, it is difficult to reuse an existing tank?
Mr. Brigham: Do we get the scrap?
Mr. Hicks: I would imagine that his price included selling
the scrap and he used that as part of his offset to his expenses.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Mr. Wall: I have some other items. Would you like to take
them up now?
Mr. Chairman: I'll accept a motion to add them to the
agenda if I can get it.
Mr. Brigham: I so move.
Mr. Handy: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Interim Attorney regarding a counter
offer option for settlement on four parcels for property, was
read.
Mr. Wall: The last two are slightly in excess of the
appraised value with letters of explanation coming from Public
Works and I recommend approval of all four options at the
negotiated price.
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Mr. Handy: I so move.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Motion adopted unanimously.
Communication from the Interim Attorney requesting approval
of the settlement of the claim against Richmond County by Joyce
and Jack Jennings in the amount of $l6,800, was read.
Mr. Wall:
removed.
Mr. Handy:
Mr. Todd:
Mr. Wall:
This will settle the claim and get that trailer
I so move.
Second. Was anyone living there?
My understanding is they are out.
Motion adopted unanimously.
communication from the Interim Attorney submitting a copy of
correspondence from Precision Planning recommending approval of
the award for the 4th Street Facility to R. W. Allen for the base
bid of $4,857,000, was read.
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Mr. Wall: There was a bid opening on December 2l. There
were four bids and R. W. Allen and Associates was the low bidder.
The next closest bidder was $5,018,000 which was McKnight
Construction. The next was Two State Construction at $5,2l8,000
and the next was MMT, $6,446,000.
Mr. Todd: I so move to get it on the floor for discussion.
Mr. Brigham: Second.
Mr. Todd: How much is this over the projected cost of
Precision?
Mr. Wall: It's approximately $200,000. I can't give you
the exact amount.
Mr. Todd: I think that's probably reasonable.
Mr. Wall: Could we include in the motion to go ahead and
authorize the Mayor to execute those contracts?
Mr. Todd: I so will amend it to that effect.
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Mr. Brigham: Second it.
Motion adopted unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting
was adjourned.
Lena J. Bonner
Clerk of Commission-Council
NWM