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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-27-1998 Meeting I I I ENGINEERING SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - January 27, 1998 2:30 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Powell, Chairman; Handy, Vice-Chairman; Bridges and Todd, members; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Lori D'Alessio, Attorney's Off~c.e;Milx,'Hicks, Utilities Dept. Director; Tom Wiedmeier, Utilities"Dept. Asst. Director; Jack Murphy, Interim Public Works Director; Drew Goins, Asst. Director of Public Works, Engineering Division; Richard Acree, Asst. Director - Facilities Maintenance Dept.; Barry Smith, Trees & Landscaping Director; Geri Sams, purchasing Director; Glenn Greenway, Acting Comptroller; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Larry Sconyers, Mayor. Also Present: Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, George Eskola of WJBF Television, Stacy Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. J. Brigham and Beard, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request for addendum items and we have Ms. Bobbie Horton here who would like to speak to the Committee about some property on Hicks Street. Mr. Todd: I'll move we hear from the delegation. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Ms. Horton: This at auction in November Dillard on this and it residents of the area. 1950's. concerns 1832 Hicks Street which was sold of 1995. I had worked with Charles is a lot that was used for parking by It has been used for parking since the Mr. Oliver: Let me provide some background. The Mayor, myself, Ms. Horton and Jim Huffstetler, the Traffic Engineer, went out there some time ago and looked at this and Mr. Huffstetler did some analysis. Parking on the street is not practical and this lot was sold by the City in 1995. Most of.the properties there have off-street parking for at least one vehicle but apparently this lot was owned by the City and they allowed people to park on this lot. The lot was bought by an adjacent property owner and is currently being used by them for recreational purposes for their children. Many areas in the City have parking difficulties and whatever we do for this situation will have to be done for others if they come forward with similar types of problems. Mr. Todd: I move that we accept this report as information and request that Ms. Horton submit in writing her issues and we will address those issues. Mr. Bridges: Second. After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. I . 1'1; " .' . , Mr. Chairman: We wi,ll, tIiove It-ems #2 and #5 to the end of the agenda in the interest of t,ime. A request to approve condemnation of 0.34 acres of right-of- way and 0.03 acres of temporary construction easement (Tax Map 13-4, Parcels 272 and 273) on the Forest Park Drainage Improvement Phase I project - Brentwood Place Detention pond, which is owned by Robert A. Frederick, was read. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A proposal from James G. Swift & Associates for the design of the Bedford Heights Sanitary Sewer project in the amount of $66,420, was read. Mr. Todd: I'll so move to get it on the floor for discussion. Mr. Bridges: Second. I Mr. Todd: Will we have a maximum amount for architectural engineering that is reasonable and customary? Mr. Wiedmeier: We had asked for proposals in the past through a man-hour estimate. The original proposal was $71,536 and I felt that was too high. They looked at what they could reduce and this is what they felt it would take to do the project. Mr. Todd: I think that's a little high. Mr. Oliver: These costs do vary and sometimes they fall within a range. Mr. Todd: I'll go ahead and support it for now. Mr. Oliver: We can do some further research and have it ready by the Commission meeting. Motion adopted unanimously. A report on competitive assessment performed by EMA Services, Inc. for the Utilities Department, was read. I I I I At this time EMA Services, Inc. made a presentation to the Committee regarding their recommendations for the Utilities Department. After the close of the presentation and a short discussion, Mr. Todd: I move that we accept the report as information. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to certify the project right-of-way and execute the Georgia Department of Transportation right-of-way agreement regarding the State Route 56 @ Phinizy Road Intersection Improvements Project, was read. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve State-Aid County Contract Priority List, was read. Mr. Murphy: We have received the Lakeside and Barton Chapel Phase I projects and have moved some projects up and have added two new projects on the County contract list. One is the Second Street Outfall project and the East Boundary Street project which includes extensive drainage improvements. We recommend approval of the list and I think we'll get possibly six projects this year out of this list. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to certify the project right-of-way and execute the Georgia Department of Transportation right-of-way agreement regarding the McCombs Road, Section I Project, was read. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to approve a proposal for services, as modified, by Southeastern Technology Center to assist in meeting the administrative requirements of the Federal Economic Development Administration Grant which partially funds the Small Business Incubator Facility Project, was read. Mr. Oliver: The total cost is $25,000. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion it be approved. I After a short discussion, Mr. Todd: I'll second it. Motion adopted with Mr. Todd voting "No". A request to approve condemnation of 2,142.42 sq. ft. for permanent storm drainage and utility easement and 2,142.24 sq. ft. for temporary construction easement (Tax Map 41-1, Parcels 62) on the Tanglewood/Kingston Subdivision Drainage Improvement Project which is owned by Margaret H. Newman aka Marguerite H. Newman Maddox, was read. Mr. Handy: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Murphy: This is the first of several condemnations on this project. Motion adopted with the Chairman voting "No". A request to release permanent drainage easement, was read. I Mr. Murphy: Georgia DOT has given up their part on the other end and this easement is absolutely of no value. All of the drainage itself is in the street. We got this under condemnation when Mr. Golden owned it. Mr. Todd: What is the value of it? Mr. Oliver: I think we can find out. Mr. Todd: I'll bring it back to the regular meeting. so move we receive this as information and Committee if we don't have it before the Mr. Chairman: I'll second that. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve a Speed Limit Ordinance establishing speed limits for Augusta, was read. Mr. Todd: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Brigham: In some places the speeds are 45 and then they I go to 35 and then back up to 45 and that seems unreasonable. Motion adopted unanimously. I I I A request to condemn the necessary easement across property of Betty W. Dorminey (Tax Map 71.3, Parcel 125) in connection with the Kissingbower Sanitary Sewer Improvements Phases IV and V Project, was read. Ms. D'Alessio: Mr. Revell is asking for authorization to condemn in the event that an option cannot be worked out. ' Mr. Todd: I have a problem using condemnation as leverage to force someone to sign. I think we should have a final offer and a final offer rejected then let it come to us for condemnation. Mr. Handy: I move it be approved. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Murphy: Max, is Jimmy Brown acquiring this for you? Mr. Hicks: I don't know if Jimmy is involved in this particular one or not. Mr. Murphy: Jimmy Brown uses the same nomenclature and the same procedure to acquire any rights-of-way if it's a federal project, a state project or a county project. There are offers made, there are counteroffers, there are two or three steps that he goes through before condemnations are filed. Motion adopted with Mr. Todd voting "No". A request to condemn the necessary easement across property of Woodrow W. Dorminey (Tax Map 71.3, Parcel 153) in connection with the Kissingbower Sanitary Sewer Improvements Phases IV and V Project, was read. Ms. D'Alessio: This is the same situation. Mr. Handy: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Todd: I'll let my comments reflect what I said on the other one. Motion adopted with Mr. Todd voting "No". A request to condemn the necessary easement across property of Jack Vincent Keever (Tax Map 71.3, Parcel 104) in connection with the Kissingbower Sanitary Sewer Improvements Phases IV and V Project, was read. Ms. D'Alessio: This is in connection with that project. The property owner feels the appraisal is too low. ,'. .... ".'. -,. ,,\, I, Mr. Handy: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Todd: Let the same argument reflect my position. I Motion: adopted with Mr. 'Todd voting UNo". The Committee next considered approval of the list of unpaved roads. Mr. Bridges: I'll make a motion that the list be approved. Mr. Chairman: I'll second the motion to get it on the floor. Mr. Bridges: So we're approving this list of roads as the ones we'll be paving and then you will come back with the list that will be paved for this year. Mr. Goins: Right. My intent here is to show you how you would use the information in the road book to evaluate what streets would be on there in accordance with the recommendations of the the road sub-committee. Mr. Bridges: I thought we had already done that. I Mr. Goins: That agenda item only approved the ranking of the roads and the second portion which was the prioritization in order to let a contract was received as information. You approved the procedure for ranking the roads but you never approved the procedure for prioritizing the roads for letting of contracts. That portion was received as information. Mr. Bridges: So we need to approve the procedure for prioritizing the roads for letting of contracts. Mr. Goins: Yes, sir. Mr. Bridges: I'll amend my motion to reflect that. Mr. Handy: I don't have a book on this. Mr. Todd: I'm not going to be able to vote for it until I study the changes. Mr. Handy: I'll make a substitute motion to postpone it until I get some information. Mr. Bridges: I'll rescind my motion. Mr. Todd: I'll second Mr. Handy's motion. I Motion adopted unanimously. I I I Mr. Handy: Ya'll are way into my time for Public Safety. Mr. Todd: I so move that we adjourn. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Chairman: There is one course of action I want to take before we leave. I'd like to appoint a sub-committee regarding train and railway traffic. The chairman of that committee will be Steve Shepard, Mayor Pro Tem Lee Beard, a representative from the Sheriff's Department, a representative from the Fire Department, a representative from Emergency Management, a representative from CSX Railroad and a representative from Norfolk Southern Railroad to be appointed by the Chairman of the sub-committee. Mr. Handy: Mr. Mays is our rail representative for the whole Commission. Mr. Chairman: We can add Mr. Mays to it also. ADJOURNMENT: was adjourned. There being no further business, the meeting Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM