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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-14-2001 Meeting ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - March 14, 200 I 2:30 P. M. 1. Approve option to acquire a right-of-way from George S. Pruiett (Tax Map 83, Parcel 37.7) for the sum of$10,500. 2. Motion to approve closing of Goshen Industrial Boulevard. 3. Discussion of Resolution regarding Davis Road improvements. (Requested by Commissioner Bridges) 4. Authorize the Public Works & Engineering Department to continue using Analytical Environmental Services, Inc. (AES) Analytical Services to perform 200 I leachate quality testing as required by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) at a fee not to exceed $18,000.00. Funded by Landfill Account #541-04-4210-5213118. 5. Approve a proposal from Southern Company Energy Solutions in the amount of $171,475 to replace a manual utility transfer switch with an automatic transfer switch for the Augusta Utilities Department. (Funded by Account Number 508043410-5425110) 6. Approve a proposal from Southern Company Energy Solutions in the amount of $96,144 to perform lighting retrofit services for the Augusta Utilities Department. (Funded by Account Number 508043410-5413120) 7. Authorize the Public Works & Engineering Department to continue using Environmental Management Association (EMA) professional services to perform 2001 semiannual groundwater quality assessment as required by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) at a fee not to exceed $46,000.00. Funded by Landfill Account #541-04-4210-5212999. 8. Approve Ordinances to amend Chapter 8-4, "Trees" to clarify fence height, curbing in parking lots, counting handicap parking spaces and also establishing protection for existing and planted trees. 9. Discussion of sewer connections. (Deferred from Engineering Services Committee meeting of December II, 2000) 10. Report from Street Lighting Sub-Committee. 11. Report from Unpaved Roads Sub-Committee. - 12. Discuss dredging of Lake Olmstead. (Requested by Commissioner J. Brigham) - 13. Revisit/review policy for traffic control within neighborhoods. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) . painting curbs . speed bumps . stop signs 14. Discussion of Canal inspection March 31, 2001. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) 15. Discuss Alexander Drive Culvert Erosion. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) 16. Discuss Water System Readiness. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) 17. Discuss professional services contract. (Requested by Commissioner Beard) 18. Discuss Riverwalk plaque. (Deferred from Engineering Services Committee meeting of February 26,2001) .... - . - - .. ADDENDUM ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA March 14,2001 2:30 P. M. DELETION FROM THE AGENDA: 1. Discuss Riverwalk plaque. (placed on Engineering Services Committee agenda in error - to be considered in Finance Committee meeting) ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: I. Presentation by Mr. David Darby to discuss vacancies of the Assistant County Engineer and County Engineer positions. 2. Provide a monthly update on the status of the projects that comprise the 1996 and 2000 Capital Improvement Programs. 3. Approve waiver of fees in accordance with request from ANIC for 22 dumpsters. I ..... I ENGINEERING SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM-March 14,2001 2:30 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Bridges, Chairman; Cheek, Co-Chairman; Colclough and Mays, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Walter Hornsby, Interim Administrator; Terri Turner, Planning Commission; Rick Acree, Ass!. Director ofP.W. - Facilities Management Division; Teresa Smith, Public Works Director; Drew Goins, Ass!. Director ofP.W. - Engineering Division; Doug Cheek, County Engineer; Michael Greene, Ass!. Director; Max Hicks, Utilities Dep!. Director; Hameed Malik, Environmental Engineer; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Bob Young, Mayor. Also Present: George Eskola ofWJBF Television, Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit, Heidi Coryell of The Augusta Chronicle and Hon. J. Brigham, H. Brigham, Shepard, and Beard, Commissioners. The Deputy Clerk: We have one deletion from the agenda and a request for three additions to the agenda. Mr. Colclough: I move to approve. I Mr. Cheek: Second. Mr. Mays: On Item 1 I we will be having a meeting on that so you can add that to the deletions if you wish. Mr. 1. Brigham: You can do the same with Item 10. Mr. Chairman: We'll include those in the deletions. Motion adopted unanimously. At this time Ms. Smith gave a progress report on the vacancies of Assistant County Engineer and County Engineer positions. Ms. Smith stated that interviews for the Assistant County Engineer posilion had been held and that the position was going to be readvertised since a suitable candidate was not selected. It was the consensus of the Committee that Ms. Smith bring back to the next meeting a recommendation regarding a proper salary range for candidates for this position. I Mr. David Darby from the Construction Advisory Board appeared before the Committee and requested that a representative from their group be allowed to be part of the selection process for the position of County Engineer and Assistant County Engineer. Mr. Wall: A precedent for that has been set in previous cases. I Mr. Cheek: I so move that they be added as part of the process but not in the decision making. Mr. Darby: We just wanted to have a voice in the selection process and make our recommendation as to who we believe would be the best candidate. Mr. Pelaez: I would like to see the Director be allowed to decide who she would like to see sit on the interview panel after the position has been advertised. Mr. Chairman: The motion would allow the recommendation to come from the department head. Mr. Darby: That's consistent with what we were looking for. Ms. Smith: I don't have a problem with Mr. Darby or some representative sitting in on the process but I would like to have the discretion in choosing the panel. We would also want consistency in the questions asked of the applicants. Actually, I believe the request was for two people to participate - one from the Citizens Advisory Board and one from the Builders Association, and that those people be familiar with the process and understand that we will be consistent with questions because we have HR guidelines to follow. I After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. The Committee next heard a mnnthly update on the status of the projects that comprise the 1996 and 2000 Capital Improvement Programs. At the close of the presentation and after further discussion, Mr. Cheek: A motion to receive this as information. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Chairman: Parsons is doing the Watershed Assessment for us and they've asked us to appoint a citizens technical advisory committee, a citizens advisory group. Each commissioner gets an appointment to the citizens advisory group. Please go ahead and do that because they'll be instrumental as far as the Source Water Assessment and Watershed Assessment. Also, they're recommending a technical assistance committee, technical advisory committee, with so many members and they're asking that the Commission appoint them. I'd like to put that on the agenda for the next Commission I 2 I meeting and my preference is to let the Mayor provide those because they're looking for different professional groups there. A request to approve waiver of fees in accordance with request from ANIC for 22 dumpsters, was read. Mr. Mays: I so move that we waive it should HND not be able to provide the funding. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next discussed a resolution regarding Davis Road Improvements. (Requested by Commissioner Bridges) Mr. Bridges: Columbia County endorsed a resolution to the DOT regarding Davis Road and there are some residential concerns in that regard. Mr. George Snellings made a presentation regarding the problems associated with the proposed concrete median in the improvements. I After further discussion, Ms. Smith: Would you like for Mr. Huffstetler and me to work with the citizens group to put something together for you to look at which will address the 1,500 feet that is in Richmond County? Mr. Chairman: Could we have this item come back before the Committee in four weeks with that? Do I have a motion to that effect? Mr. Cheek: I so move. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve option to acquire a right-of-way from George S. Pruiett (Tax Map 83, Parcel 37.7) for the sum of $10,500, was read. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Cheek: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I A request to approve clnsing of Goshen Industrial Boulevard, was read. 3 Mr. Wall: I recommend that you send this item to the full Commission without a recommendation. This was contingent upon the hydroswitches being installed and work was supposed to have begun on March 5. That work wasn't started and this would give them another week. I Mr. Cheek: I so move. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to authorize the Public Works & Engineering Department to continue using Analytical Environmental Services, Inc. (AES) Analytical Services to perform 2001 leachate quality testing as required by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) at a fee not to exceed $18,000.00. Funded by Landfill Account #541-04-4210-5213118, was read. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Cheek: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve a proposal from Snuthern Cnmpany Energy Solutinns in the amount of $171,475 to replace a manual utility transfer switch with an automatic transfer switch for the Augusta Utilities Department. (Funded by Account Number 508043410-5425110), was read. I Mr. Cheek: A motion to approve. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve a proposal from Southern Company Energy Solutions in the amount of $96,144 to perform lighting retrofit services for the Augusta Utilities Department. (Funded by Account Number 508043410-5413120), was read. Mr. Cheek: A motion to approve. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to authorize the Public Works & Engineering Department to continue using Environmental Management Association (EMA) professional services to perform 2001 semiannual groundwater quality assessment as required by I 4 I Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) at a fee not to exceed $46,000.00. Funded by Landfill Account #541-04-42]0-52]2999, was read. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Cheek: I'll second that. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve Ordinances to amend Chapter 8-4, "Trees" to clarify fence height, curbing in parking lots, cnunting handicap parking spaces and also establishing protection for existing and planted trees, was read. After a discussion of the matter, Mr. Cheek: A motion to table this until we reevaluate the tree ordinance. Mr. Colclough: I second that. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee discussed sewer connections. (Deferred from Engineering Services Committee meeting of December 11, 2000) I Mr. Cheek: Is there some way for us to develop a hold harmless agreement to allow us to bid, say, Sandridge, and its 1000 homes who need to be connected to a sewer system and allow us to develop some type of financing system to get one contractor in who is bonded to alleviate the City being held liable? Is that a possibility? Mr. Wall: You could sign off on a hold hannless agreement. It would need to be a covenant going with it. My fear is when something happens in that sewer line that has been installed by a contractor we've recommended in essence by virtue of allowing it out there, they're going to look to the County. That indemnity agreement may be there, but the political settlement is going to be if we recommended the contractor, we ought to be responsible for il. Mr. Chairman: Would you like the Attorney in conjunction with Max look at the pros and cons of this and present this back to the Committee at a future date? Mr. Cheek: Yes, sir. I Mr. Chairman: Items 12 through 17 have come through with no backup on them. While we have done this in the past, I have asked Mrs. Bormer to request that Commissioners provide some backup with the item thereby giving others time to do some research and put some thought into your questions so we'll be better prepared when it comes up for discussion. 5 The Committee next discussed dredging of Lake Olmstead. (Requested by Commissioner J. Brigham) Mr. J. Brigham: Judge Kernaghan has complained that Lake Olmstead is filling up with some silt and I think you need to receive it as information and somewhere in the future consider dredging the lake. I Mr. Cheek: I'll make that in the form ofa motion and I'd like to add Warren Lake to that also. It's in the same situation. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Revisit/review policy for traffic control within neighbnrhoods. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) . painting curbs . speed bumps . stop signs Mr. Cheek: This was brought to my attention by some constituents. Mr. Huffstetler: We were talking about developing a neighborhood traffic combing program. I'll need some time to develop it and we'll look at methods to solve some of these problems. We can probably have something back in a couple of months. I Mr. Cheek: A motion to receive this as information pending a report back in two months. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Discussion of Canal inspection March 31, 2001. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) Mr. Cheek: This will take place on the 31st for your information and you are invited to join in. Mr. Mays: I move we receive this as information. Mr. Cheek: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I 6 I The Committee discussed Alexander Drive Culvert Erosion. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) Mr. Cheek: This area is eroding again and needs to be taken care of. Ms. Smith: This was just a bandaid fix last year. We have done some repair work through the contractor and we are doing periodic checks on it to make continued repairs. Mr. Cheek: I move we accept this as information. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee discussed Water System Readiness. (Requested by Commissioner Cheek) Mr. Cheek: 1'd like to see a report on this at the next Committee meeting. It was the consensus ofthe Committee that this item be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. I The Committee next discussed professional services contracts. (Requested by Commissioner Beard) Mr. Beard asked about the selection process for professional services contracts in the Utilities Department. Mr. Hicks responded that a number of firms were considered from various cities with discussions oftheir fees, qualifications, etc. geared to the different projects. He noted that they had asked for statements of interest as well. Ms. Sams: On Feb. 28 a workshop was held at Julian Smith and 60 engineering and architectural firms attended from as far away as South Carolina. I had been previously asked to give up a position in my department in order to accommodate the new position of Contract Specialist. Today 1'd like to offer a recommendation on how that position could be funded. The Recreation Department receives a percentage of the sales tax money as does the Utilities Department and the Public Works Department. Is it possible for us to secure funding from the administrative part of those two items - from the fund and from the sales tax. Ms. Smith and Mr. Hicks are both willing to transfer some funds from their projects to the Purchasing Department to help me with the funding for that position. I would also like to change the name of the Purchasing Department to the Procurement Department and we will continue to do things the way that they should be done. The cost for this Contract Specialist position would be $42,866.28. I 7 Mr. Mays: I move that we support sending this to both Administrative and Finance Committees and if the details are worked out by those committees, then we support the funding sources of Public Works and Utilities Departments. I Mr. Chairman: I'd be prepared to approve in concept this position. As far as the funding, I'd like to see how that's going to be done as far as the bonding and the sales tax before I say that's what we want to do. Mr. Mays: I can change the motion to the concept of it. Mr. Cheek: I'll second that. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I I 8