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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-13-2003 Meeting I ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - January 13, 2003 3:00 P. M. 1. Report from the Public Works Director regarding a request from Mr. and Mrs. B. 1. Duggan for the relocation of storm water pipe on property adjacent to Milo Street and Gordon Highway. (Deferred from December 23 Engineering Services) 2. Motion to authorize condemnation ofa portion of Tax Map 139, Parcel 327, which is owned by Kenneth Ray Scott and Olivia Laura Scott, for an easement in connection with the Horsepen Sanitary Sewer Extension Project, more particularly described as 6,220.60 square feet, more or less, of permanent utility easement. 3. Motion to authorize condemnation of a portion of Tax Map 151, Parcel 145, which is owned by Debbie A. Garner and Michael S. Grimes, for an easement on the Horsepen Sanitary Sewer Extension Project, more particularly described as 3,458.12 square feet, more or less, of permanent utility easement. 4. Authorize Public Works and Engineering to award engineering services contract in the amount of$97,854.72 to US Infrastructure, Inc. for the Wrightsboro Road Widening, Phase I Improvement Project to be funded from CPB# 324-04- 201824333. I 5. Receive as information an update from Public Works & Engineering on the at- grade railroad crossing improvement initiative. 6. Consider a request from Metro Augusta Clean & Beautiful, Inc. for a letter of support to make application for the 2003 Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEF A) Grant that will fund a feasibility study for the need and placement of a Regional Material Recovery Facility for Richmond-Columbia County residents. 7. Award contract to APAC-GA, Inc. in the amount of$790,828.90 subject to the receipt of signed contracts and proper bonds for the Augusta Canal Multi-Use Trail Project (CPB #327-04-296812019). 8. Approve award of Bid Item #03-048 to low bidder, Waste Management of Augusta-Aiken, at a cost of $88,596.96 a year. This is a one-year contract with an option to renew for a second year. 9. Approve payment to Mabus Bros. Construction Company in the amount of $25,016.94 for elimination of the combined sewer overflow (CSO) situation on the Laney Walker Boulevard Widening Project. 10. Review report from the Engineering workshop held on January 10,2003. I ADDENDUM ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA January 13, 2002 3:00 P. M. ADDITION TO THE AGENDA: I. Approved Revised State-Aid County Contract Priority List. 2. Update from the Planning Commission regarding the Dominion Way Flood Buyouts. I I I ENGINEERING SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - January 13,2003 3:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Cheek, Chairman; Colclough, Co-Chairman; Mays and Boyles, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; George Kolb, Administrator; Fred Russell, Deputy Administrator; Teresa Smith, Public Works Director; Lillian Katharine Blanos, Metro Augusta Clean & Beautiful Director; Lena Bonner, Clerk ofCo=ission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Bob Young, Mayor. Also Present: Hons. Hankerson and Bridges, Co=issioners. The Deputy Clerk: We have a request for three additions to the agenda. 1. Approve Revised State-Aid County Contract Priority List. 2. Update from the Planning Co=ission regarding the Dominion Way Flood Buyouts. 3. Update regarding regulation changes concerning private roads. Mr. Colclough: I make a motion that we add and approve. I Mr. Boyles: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: 2. Motion to authorize condemnation of a portion of Tax Map 139, Parcel 327, which is owned by Kenneth Ray Scott and Olivia Laura Scott, for an easement in connection with the Horsepen Sanitary Sewer Extension Project, more particularly described as 6,220.60 square feet, more or less, of permanent utility easement. 3. Motion to authorize condemnation of a portion of Tax Map 151, Parcel 145, which is owned by Debbie A. Garner and Michael S. Grimes, for an easement on the Horsepen Sanitary Sewer Extension Project, more particularly described as 3,458.12 square feet, more or less, of permanent utility easement. 4~ Authorize Public Works and Engineering to award engineering services contract in the amount of $97,854.72 to US Infrastructure, Inc. for the Wrightshoro Road Widening, Phase I Improvement Project to be funded from CPB# 324-04-201824333. I 7. A ward contract to AP AC-GA, Inc. in the amount of $790,828.90 subject to the receipt of signed contracts and proper bonds for the Augusta Canal Multi-Use Trail Project (CPB #327-04-296812019). I Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Boyles: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 5. Receive as information an update from the Public Works & Engineering on the at-grade railroad crossing improvement initiative. Ms. Smith reported on the repairs and improvements to the railroad crossings as submitted to the railroad companies. She noted that committee members will be kept up to date on future repairs as well. Mr. Boyles: I move we receive it as information. Mr. Colclough: Second. After a short discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. 1. Report from the Public Works Director regarding a request from Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Duggan for the relocation of storm water pipe on property adjacent to Milo Street and Gordon Highway. (Deferred from December 23 Engineering Services) I Ms. Smith gave a report on the costs involved in the piping and relocation of a portion of the ditch off of the Duggan property. Total estimated cost for the work was approximately $120,000. She also noted that there may be some additional utility costs involved due to the relocation of some power poles. She stated that a pipe on their property needs to be relocated and that it is the current policy that the city not become involved in the relocation of storm water flows on private property in order to accommodate development. She noted that there is no recorded easement over this pipe nor has it been determined that this pipe was put in place to address any public nuisance or public water type of issues. It is a natural drainage pattern and there is no funding in place to perform the work. Mr. Hankerson: There is a house there also, and it is in danger offalling into this ditch. There are also similar problems in other areas. Mr. Wall: They have produced an affidavit that it was in fact done by the county, but we don't have anything to indicate that it was done by the county. Insofar as fair market value the only thing we would have to pay for is whatever the cost of that easement was and I would also point out that the purchaser knew of the existence of this pipe at the time he purchased it because the deed specifically references the plat that is a I 2 I part of the title that was presented. The charge for relocating that pipe has always been at the expense of the developer and he should be responsible for it. Mr. Chairman: So what I'm hearing is that this is not the City's problem. Mr. Bill Trotter: I represent Mr. and Mrs. Duggan and let me give you a copy of the affidavit of (inaudible) stating that the county did install this. I also have a copy of a plat from Augusta Richmond County showing that on March 28, 1959 the county accepted the drainage system coming from what's now known as Daniel Heights or Fairmont that comes from Walden Road that dumps this water. There is a house near this ditch owned by Mary Smithson. We are trying to deal with two issues here. One is the pipe on Mr. Duggan's land and the other bigger problem is the open ditch that runs by her house that is continuing to errode and make the problem continually worse. You can't fix one of these problems without fixing the other. Mr. Chairman: This is a universal problem across the city. Putting it on our list and working with it is the best we can do with the funding we have. Mr. Trotter: We're hoping the county can do what's necessary to remedy the overall problem including that which is confronting Mr. and Mrs. Duggan with respect to their property. I After further discussion, Mr. Colclough: Have we been able to determine who put in the pipe? Mr. Wall: We have not been able to verify that the pipe was put in by county forces. Mr. Chairman: Can we say that this runoff is from county roads or property? Mr. Don Atwell: We would say that it is. Mr. Chairman: So we know that this is city water and it comes from a city system. I Ms. Smith: All ditches that take water out of the county system are not necessarily under easement at this time nor have they been identified as being county water that is flowing into those ditches. If it is a policy of this Commission that any water that flows off of a city street and into a tributary of any type that that is indeed county water, then we will go back and reassess the work and activities that need to be done by Public Works in accordance with that policy. Currently, if the water dumps into a naturally occurring drainage pattern, if a development occurs, and when we collect the water it flows back into a natural drainage pattern, we do not acquire easements and follow that water all the way back to the Savannah River and indicate that that is city water. Mr. Chairman: What we can do today is add this section of it to the County's 3 inventory and acquire the easements through that property to make it properly ours for drainage. Ms. Smith: And that would only be that area that crosses the Duggan property, is that right? I Mr. Chairman: We haven't even gotten there yet. Ms. Smith: At the direction of the Commission, we will add that to the identified unfunded projects list. After further discussion, Mr. Mays: Has there been any damage to the house that is near the ditch? Ms. Smithson: My name is Mary Smithson. My grandfather owned the land and it was just a little stream when I was very young. Mr. Chairman: Did it flow down the same path as the pipe and everything else? Ms. Smithson: Yes. Mr. Boyles: I'd like to make a motion that we just return this to our legal staff and let them work this situation out because apparently we're not going to be able to do it here. I Mr. Colclough: I'll second. Mr. Mays: Could you check into the possibility of relocating Ms. Smithson? Ms. Turner responded that issues such as this will be addressed in the Hood hazard mitigation plan that is being prepared. Motion adopted unanimously. 6. Consider a request from Metro Augusta Clean & Beautiful, Inc. for a letter of support to make application for the 2003 Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) Grant that will fund a feasibility study for the need and placement of a Regional Material Recovery Facility for Richmond-Columbia County residents. Ms. Blanos: We're asking for approval for Augusta Richmond County to be a part ofthis feasibility study and to be the lead city because of the population. This feasibility study will cost between $50,000 and $100,000, but it will not cost the City of Augusta anything. Sandy Mercer and I are donating our services and you are familiar with our grant writing. I'm asking your approval to have an MOU signed by the Mayor and also your approval to write this grant and for the city to be the lead city in this I 4 I application. There is no obligation of funds and we would appreciate doing it for you. Mr. Colclough: I move for approval. Mr. Mays: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 11. Receive a recommendation from the Pnblic Works Personnel/Performance Sub-Committee. Mr. Bridges: Engineering Services appointed a sub-committee to personnel analysis of the Public Works Department, to recommend any changes or new methods to improve efficiency and staffing and we're bringing forth two recommendations regarding the personnel portion. The first one is to consider the options of bringing in employees on a contract basis, hiring them on a full-time permanent basis or hiring a contract management fIrm on a contract basis. This is in regard to sales tax funded building projects. The second recommendation was to deal with Public Works professional positions separately from a countywide salary reclassification when those positions outside the salary boundaries surface and that the Director at that time bring her recommendations to the Commission. I Mr. Mays: I so move that we approve the two recommendations. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 8. Approve award of Bid Item #03-048 to low bidder, Waste Management of Augusta-AIken, at a cost of $88,596.96 a year. This is a one-year contract with all option to renew for a second year. Mr. Boyles: I move for approval. Mr. Colclough: I'll second. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Colclough out. 9. Approve payment to Mabus Bros. Construction Company in the amount of $25,016.94 for elimination of the combined sewer overflow (CSO) situation on the Laney Walker Boulevard Widening Project. Mr. Boyles: I move for approval. I Mr. Colclough: Second. 5 Motion adopted unanimously. 10. Review report from the Engineering workshop held on January 10, 2003. I Mr. Chairman: We had a workshop concerning the spill at the Messerly plant. findings were that there was a major leak from a failed seal that occurred around a recirculation pump in the #4 digester. The sludge went out ofthe tank into the site itself and it was contained on site. Due to the combined forces of the subcontractor and the staff acting as a team, there were several earthen dikes erected that prevented it from getting off site. It was contained and there were no life safety issues. OM! is presently investigating the failure of the seal and there are several potential failure mechanisms they are working with to determine why it failed. The personnel handled the situation in a professional manner and are checking the remainder of the seals on the site. We will get a report back by the end of February from the vendor detailing the failure mechanism. Addendum Item 2. Update from the Planning Commission regarding the Dominion Way Flood Buyouts. Ms. Turner: We were given the assignment of doing something about the four homes on Dominion Way, two of which have been substantially damaged from previous flooding in June of2000. We got additional funding from FEMA and I'm pleased to report that state has recommended to FEMA that all four properties be purchased. Mr. Chairman: And you are collecting data on places such as Hollywood Subdivision and others that have flood histories? I Ms. Turner: Yes, sir. That's part of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan that is due to be done by September of this year. Mr. Boyles: I move that we accept that report as information. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Boyles inquired about the hold on the sewer project on Berckman Road and Ms. Smith responded that she could not speak about the sewer portion but that from the Public Works standpoint, the project will probably need to be redesigned since there have been a number of changes. Mr. Mays: Regarding the county contract priority list, since this is such an important document when we take it to Atlanta, one of the Administrators may want to contact the non-committee members and be sure that everyone agrees with the listing of the projects before we all get to Atlanta. If we need to have any debate on it, I think we should have that here prior to leaving for Atlanta so that we will all be in agreement when we get up there. I 6