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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-28-1997 Meeting I I I ENGINEERING SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - January 28, 1997 2:30 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; Powell, Chairman; Todd, Vice-Chairman; Handy and J. Brigham, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Max Hicks, Utilities Department Director; Tom Wiedmeier, Asst. Director of Utilities Department; Harry Hartley, Asst. Director of Public Works; Cheryl Nelson of the Finance Department; Barry Smith, Trees & Landscaping Department Director; A. B. McKie, Jr., Comptroller; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Michael Greene, Interim Director of Public Works; Jack Murphy, Public Works Department; Jim Leiper, Environmental Engineer; Drew Goins, Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of Engineering; David Smith, Solid Waste Manager; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Also Present: Sylvia Cooper of the Augusta Chronicle, Gale Mino of WBBQ Radio, George Eskola of WJBF Television, Rosemary Forrest of the Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. Zetterberg, Bridges and Kuhlke, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request for six items to be added to - the agenda. Mr. Todd: I so move that we add these by unanimous consent. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee first considered approval of Capital Project Budget Amendment No. 1 with funding for Bobby Jones Expressway @ S.R. 56 Additional Loop, CPB#55-8156-330. Mr. Murphy: This will come from Phase II recaptured funds. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Brigham: I'll second it. Will there be enough recaptured money available? Mr. Murphy: I don't know exactly how much is available. Ms. Nelson: There is $1.3 million. Motion adopted unanimously. Capital Project Budget #57-8308-097 with funding for Bobby Jones Expressway (1-20 to Wrightsboro Road), was read. Mr. Murphy: This is for the widening of Bobby Jones from 1-20 to Wrightsboro Road with the additional $55,000 to come from Phase III County forces allocations and we recommend approval. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered a policy statement for property acquisitions valued below $10,000. Mr. Oliver: Mr. Wall and I discussed this. We bring a lot of easements to you for small amounts and we are proposing an amendment to policy that would make it so that if it is in the project budget, if the amount of the easement or acquisition is less than $10,000 and the amount of the purchase for that easement is less than 110% of the appraised value, then we can administratively take care of it. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Brigham: I'll second. Motion adopted unanimously. A condemnation of property owned by Carolyn M. and Charles E. McGee, Jr. (Tax Map 144, Parcel 51), was read. A condemnation of property owned by James Edward Hawkes (Tax Map 144, Parcel 39), was read. I Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A purchase of permanent drainage and utility easement from Wilfred H. Gladue (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 161) in the amount of $225.00, was read. A purchase of a temporary construction easement from Robert . , H. Peek (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 156) ln the amount of $300.00, was read. A purchase of a permanent drainage and utility easement and a temporary construction easement from Donald Wright and Gardenia Wright (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 110) in the amount of $1,077.00, was read. A purchase of permanent utility easement from Steve and Paula Strickland (Tax Map 19-4, Parcel 145) in the amount of $650.00, was read. A purchase of permanent utility easement from Mattie M. Gay (Tax Map 19-4, Parcel 38) in the amount of $750.00, was read. I I I I A purchase of permanent utility easement from Toby Reese and Mary Reese (Tax Map 19-4, Parcel 38) in the amount of $250.00, was read. A purchase of permanent utility easement and temporary construction easement from Charlotte A. Van Horn (Tax Map 19-4, Parcel 145) in the amount of $650.00, was read. A purchase of easement from Eldridge and Salome T. Hankinson (Tax Map 87-2, Parcel 235) in the amount of $125.00, was read. ~ purchase of temporary construction easement from Pamela Hensley Long (Tax Map 33-1, Parcel 57) in the amount of $200.00, was read. A purchase of temporary construction easement from Ruby Harris and Henry Harris, Jr. (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 126) in the amount of $50.00, was read. A purchase of temporary construction easement from James L. Kendrick (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 127) in the amount of $250.00, was read. A purchase of a temporary construction easement from James W. Thompson (Tax Map 25-3, Parcel 142) in the amount of $100.00, was read. A purchase of permanent utility easement from Joel A. Plagenhoef (Tax Map 26-4, Parcel 4) in the amount of $2,200.00, was read. Mr. Wall: I recommend approval on all of these. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A counteroffer to acquire 1,002.34 square feet of right-of- way from E. L. Jernigan and Sarah C. Jernigan for $425.00, was read. Mr. Wall: We recommend this amount as a compromise. Mr. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Todd: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A deed of dedication, maintenance agreement and road resolution for Pinnacle Place Subdivision, Phase 4, Section IV, was read. Mr. Murphy: We recommend approval of this. Mr. Todd: I so move. I Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered approval to recapture $96,000 of County Forces funds in special 1% Sales Tax, Phase II and reallocate those funds to the landscape crew for intersection beautification projects in accordance with the attached list. Mr. Greene: We have 11 areas where we want to do some beautification work and it is estimated at about $140,000 according to Mr. Smith. We had $96,000 available in Phase II that we're asking to use for this. Mr. Smith plans to do most of them one at a time with in-house labor and once these are completed, we will come back and identify any additional funds needed to complete the projects. Mr. Todd: I so move we approve the recommendation. Mr. Brigham: Second. Mr. Greene: Mr. Smith had recommended that we put up some 1 signs along the main arteries coming into the County noting that Augusta is the Garden City. Mr. Smith: I have been making some talks to various organizations to promote our beautification efforts and if there are any groups that you want me to speak to, I'd be glad to do that. Hopefully we can eventually get some funds through these groups to continue the work on programs such as this. Is it your recommendation to call the whole area the Garden City? That would be my recommendation. Mr. Chairman: I think we should take that before the whole board for their decision. Mr. Smith: If we did that, the landscaping would be secondary after the new signage is installed. Mr. Todd: Can we amend the motion to do that? I'll do that and amend the motion to approve the funds for the new signs. Mr. Brigham: I'll accept that amendment. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered execution of Change Order #1 I' in the amount of $103,647.00 with Mabus Brothers Construction Company on the Division Street Basin Sewer Separation Project. I I I A change order to replace failing sanitary sewer in 13th Street, was read. A Final Change Order with Blair Construction, Inc. to decrease the contract in the amount of $250,319.65 for the Metcalf Sewer Separation, Phase V Project, was read. A Final Change Order with Mabus Brothers Construction to decrease the contract in the amount of $60,794.45 for the Turknett Springs Basin, Phase III, was read. Mr. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Todd: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered a recommendation from the Engineering Services Sub-Committee regarding illegal dumping and commercial dumpsters. The Sub-Committee recommends the implementation of mandatory garbage collection for the Suburban areas of Augusta-Richmond County through the Franchise Agreement 'process and a non-ad valorem assessment on ad valorem bills and the creation of a new Code Enforcement Division to be placed under the Marshal's Department. Mr. Todd: This was the consensus of the sub-committee and we are not asking for action on this today. We may want to approve it after having a referendum or some public hearings or town meetings where we can receive public input. This is the best solution to deal with the problem of illegal dumping which has become a real problem for our area. So I will make a motion that we receive this report as information and that we set up public hearings and/or town meetings to receive input and come back in 90 days. Mr. Brigham: I'll second that to get it on the floor. After a discussion of the matter, Mr. Oliver: We will begin writing warning tickets on the road into the Landfill to people who do not have their loads covered with a tarp. We will do this for a two-week period and then begin writing tickets for violators of this procedure. Regarding the garbage service, we will have to work out the details of that after we receive input at the public hearings and town meetings. We will probably bid the various districts and it may be less costly than the property owners are currently paying but I can't say by how much. After further discussion, the motion was put and adopted. I Mr. Chairman: The next portion of this is a Resolution to establish an Enforcement Division for litter control. Mr. Wall: This states, "Whereas, illegal dumping within Richmond County has become a serious problem; and Whereas, the I Richmond County Sheriff's Department currently has responsibility not only for enforcement of litter control ordinances, but the entire law enforcement for Richmond County; and Whereas, it is the desire of the Commission to establish an enforcement division whose sole responsibility would be enforcement of litter control ordinances; Now, Therefore, be it resolved by the Augusta- Richmond County Commission that a Code Enforcement Division be established under the Marshal's Department for Richmond County, to be funded from the Landfill budget, to enforce Richmond County litter control ordinance." Mr. Smith: In order to deter this littering problem we have worked into our budget a six-man team to be funded by the Landfill account which will be handled by one of the two certified agencies in this area. This team's main function must be illegal dumping and litter control. They can do other things as a secondary function. I am requesting that you approve the implementation of this unit. ~ '. ,. I Mr. Todd: I move that the recommendation go forth as per ...-the--Resolution to the full board. Mr. Brigham: I'll second that. Motion adopted unanimously. I Mr. Kuhlke: After the recent rains we had, Jerry and I rode around and looked at the situation involving Rae's Creek. It appears that after you get to Berckman Road and from there down to Lake Olmstead, the Creek becomes a bottleneck through that area. My concern is to get that section of the Creek checked and I understand that Mr. Goins has a study that has been done on that section and I would like for this Committee to revisit that study and get us some information back and see which way we can go on it. Mr. Chairman: We can pass that on to the Public Works Departments. Mr. Goins: I'll be glad to share the cost estimates on that with you. The Chairman announced that Committee members are welcome to attend the meeting in Atlanta on January 31 with Commissioner Shackelford regarding the priority list for Public Works projects. ADJOURNMENT: was adjourned. There being no further business, the meeting Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission I NWM