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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-09-2004 Meeting I ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - August 9, 2004 3:00 P. M. I. Receive as information a status report on the request of Mr. William Green, Jr. for additional traffic controls on Wrightsboro Road in the vicinity of Augusta Avenue. (Referred from July 26 Engineering Services) 2. Report from staff regarding the identification of a funding source for the Winchester Subdivision Project. (Referred from July 26 Engineering Services) 3. Approve path forward and associated funds to address recommendations from the subcommittee ofthe May term 2004 Grand Jury Report on the Public Works and Engineering Department. 4. Receive as information a presentation of the Downtown Augusta Streetscape Planning and Conceptual Design for the Downtown A & B Traffic Signal and Streetlights Upgrades (CPB Nos. 324-04.201824110 & 324-04-201824115). 5. Approve Proposed 2005 LARP Program List. 6. Receive as information a report from Public Works and Engineering on the meeting requested by the Mayor to meet with the contract haulers to discuss going to a unit price. I 7. Discuss Leon Alley (at request of Broad Street Investment Co.) 8. Agenda item deleted at the request of the Administrator. 9. Agenda item deleted at the request of the Administrator. 10. Approve the extension of the solid waste collections contracts with Advanced Disposal, Waste Management, Inland Services and Augusta Disposal at their current rates until December 31,2005. This will include all sections currently contracted and any subsequent additions. II. Approve the increase for Solid Waste Collections fees to $240 per unit. 12. Approve the prioritized list of areas to receive water line replacements and/or upgrades in association with the Utilities Department's Water Line Replacement Program (WLRP). ~ - - ADDENDUM ENGINEERING SERVICES AGENDA August 9, 2004 3:00 P. M. ADDITION TO THE AGENDA: I. Motion to award a planning contract to R. C. Quinn Consulting, Inc. in the amount of$33,500.00 for the preparation of an All-Hazards Mitigation Plan for Augusta, Ga. ... I - 'W" .oIlIIiiiI." I ENGINEERING SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - August 9, 2004 3:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; Cheek, Chairman; Colclough and Smith, members; Steve Shepard, Attorney; Fred Russell, Interim Administrator; Teresa Smith, Public Works Director; Errick Thompson, Public Works Dept. Asst. Director; Max Hicks, Utilities Dept.; Doug Cheek, Utilities Dept. Asst. Director; Terri Turner, Planning Commission; Mark Johnson, Solid Waste Manager; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Mays, Co-Chairman. Also Present: Hon. Boyles and Hankerson, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request to add one item to the agenda (No objections to adding this item to the agenda) 1. Receive as information a status report on the request of Mr. William Green, Jr. for additional traffic controls on Wrightsboro Road in the vicinity of Augusta Avenue. (Referred from July 26 Engineering Services) I At this time Mr. William Green appeared before the Committee regarding his concems about the safety at Augusta Avenue and Wrightsboro Road and speeding problems through the area. Mr. Thompson made a report on the actions that have been taken in this area. Mr. Chairman: Is it the will of the body that we send a formal request over to the Sheriff for enhanced patrol of that area? Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. Mr. Chairman: Madam Clerk, can you send a letter over along with Mr. Green as a point of contact to meet with the Sheriff Departrnent and we'll forward that to the full Commission. Motion adopted unanimously. 2. Report from staff regarding the identification of a funding source for the Winchester Subdivision Project. (Referred from July 26 Engineering Services) I Mr. Thompson: I think in the last meeting the estimated amount was about $105,000 on the conservative side and we thought the SPLOST report would be back. I I think that report should be back next week and we were looking toward that as a source to fund that. Mr. Chairman: I think we've identified about $3.5 million dollars in Phase I that's eligible for this type of work on Winchester for the engineering portion of it out of the recaptured money. We can make that recommendation and forward it to the full Commission and we should have the report by Tuesday's meeting. I Mr. Colclough: I so move contingent upon that funding actually being there. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 3. Approve path forward and associated funds to address recommendations from the subcommittee of the May term 2004 Grand Jury Report on the Public Works and Engineering Department. Ms. Smith: The grand jury recommended that the salary ranges be reviewed, that the search for several key positions in the Engineering division be turned over to outside 'resources, that we should explore contracting on site plan reviews until some of the open positions are filled and that the Asst. Director needs immediate assistance with various tasks he is currently responsible for performing. We have spoken with Human Resources about a salary study and that would cost about $50,000 to $75,000. Using an outside firm to identify qualified candidates for the vacancies would cost in the neighborhood of $100,000. We have had discussions with some local firms about doing the site plan reviews and some of them design or create the plans being reviewed. There would be an initiative to temporarily reorganize the engineering division such that the Asst. Director would oversee those areas where there are currently two or more professional positions vacant. Those would be the Traffic Engineering section and the county engineering section and continue direct management and oversight of the environmental engineering section with the Director of Public Works providing assistance with oversight of the pre- construction section. Other initiatives would include identifying staff on hand to serve as a point of contact in those divisions where we have vacancies and implementation of an apprentice program using as a pilot the asst. county engineering position. I Mr. Chairman: Do we have a funding source? Ms. Smith: There are not adequate funds in General Fund Contingency and the only remaining source would be reserves. Mr. Russell: I'm not ready to give up that reserve money for this at this point. I'd like to have the opportunity to look through some budgets and do that, but I do think we need to move forward and come back with a recommendation for some specifics and a funding source. I 2 I I I Mr. Colclough: I move that we ask staff to look into the salary study and come back with a report in two weeks. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Ms. Smith: I would ask that you consider giving us authorization to proceed with the site plan reviews as I had discussed, do the temporary reorganization as we outlined and do the apprenticeship pilot program. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 4. Receive as information a presentation of the Downtown Augusta Streetscape Planning and Conceptual Design for the Downtown A & B Traffic Signal and Streetlights Upgrades (CPB Nos. 324-04-201824110 & 324-04-201824115). After a presentation of the plans, Mr. Colclough: I move that we receive this as information. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 7. Discuss Leon Alley (at request of Broad Street Investment Co.) At this time Mr. Paul Simon appeared before the committee regarding the above matter. Mr. Simon: The Historic Preservation Commission turned down our first request and we then came to the Commission. You asked us to go back and work with them and we did and at both of those meetings our rendering shows how we would tear down the warehouse and refurbish this. (Refers to drawing) We have done that and we have 80 new jobs in there in the new building for our new division. We needed safe parking for them. This plan shows the gate on Leon Alley and the stones that were located here. We had to tear the alley up because we had to properly drain the property in order to pave and landscape it. We wanted to expand the parking over to Sixth Street and we have done that. We also did the engineering work. We thought we had approval to do the work in the alley, but if we did anything wrong, we'll put the stones back, buy them back from you and we'll do whatever we can to correct the problem. We have some pictures of the property and will answer any questions you might have. 3 Mr. Chairman: There was some confusion about the closure of the alley and the approval process and then the removal of the stones and whether or not they were city property which had been illegally removed. I Mr. Simon: We were under the impression that we had approval to do what we're outlining. We will have security guards and are concerned about the safety of our employees who will be working there late at night. Mr. Mayor: Perhaps the alley could be restored to the way it was, leave the gate up there to restrict access and some type of marker could be put up. Mr. Shepard: The title to the alley is still in the city's name and it would be a policy decision to decide what to do with it. Mr. Simon: Our plan was that the stones will still be used in that area and the alley would be paved. There will be access in the daytime from 6th Street where the gate would be open. Mr. Smith: I'm going to make a motion that we sell the alley to Mr. Simon's company if they are willing to do so. Mr. Simon: We'll do that and put a value on the stones and we'll pay for them. Mr. Chairman: I'll second that. I Motion adopted unanimously. 5. Approve Proposed 2005 LARP Program List. Mr. Chairman: We had a request to add Woodbine Road to the list. Ms. Smith: We may have to mill Woodbine and we can't do it with this program. But we would take a look at it being on the appropriate list because we have other programs that involve paving. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 12. Approve the prioritized list of areas to receive water line replacements and/or upgrades in association with the Utilities Department's Water Line Replacement Program (WLRP). I Mr. Colclough: I so move. 4 I I I Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Shepard: I would ask that you add and approve the legal session to deal with pending and potential litigation. Mr. Smith: I so move. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Addendum Item 1. Motion to award a planning contract to R. C. Quinn Consulting, Inc. in the amount of $33,500.00 for the preparation of an All-Hazards Mitigation Plan for Augusta, Ga. Mr. Chairman: Is there a funding source for that? Ms. Tumer: FEMA will pay % of the cost and the additional match could come from the account you established in 2000 for flood buyouts and hazard mitigation. Mr. Colclough: So move. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 6. Receive as information a report from Public Works and Engineering on the meeting requested by the Mayor to meet with the contract haulers to discuss going to a unit price. Ms. Smith: We are recommending that we take no action on the unit pricing at this time and extend the collection contract through December of 2005 and move forward with a new contract utilizing a per unit billing system with the contractors. Mr. Smith: I so move. Mr. Colclough: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 10. Approve the extension of the solid waste collections contracts with Advanced Disposal, Waste Management, Inland Services and Augusta Disposal at their current rates until December 31, 2005. This will include all sections currently contracted and any subsequent additions. 5 Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. I Mr. Boyles: Would there be a possibility of taking these collections off the tax bills and placing them on the water bills? Mr. Chairman: I think that is something we could look at in our new contracts and talk about it in a work session between now and then. After further discussion of the matter, the motion was adopted unanimously. 11. Approve the increase for Solid Waste Collections fees to $240 per unit. Ms. Smith: This is an increase of$45.00 per year. Ifwe maintain the rate of $195.00 per unit we end up with a deficit of $4.5 million dollars. Mr. Mayor asked if there was an increase in the cost in the urban area to correspond with the increase in the suburban area. Ms. Smith responded that they would have a corrected table by Tuesday. After further discussion, Mr. Chairman: I'm going to ask to forward this without recommendation to the full Commission to review and debate. I Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. [LEGAL MEETING] Mr. Chairman: I need a motion to add and approve the affidavit of compliance with Georgia's Open Meetings Act. Mr. Colclough: I so move. Mr. Smith: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjoumed. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission I 6 CLOSED MEETING AFFIDAVIT State of Georgia County of Richmond AFFIDAVIT OF ~r'JJ 6~.J<: AS PRESIDING OFFICER , k as C~~\rc....h-' of f"~~n U!Ail...! (;X(A,6:S 'being duly worn, es under oath that the following IS true and accurate to the be~f ~is fnol')le1ge and _.LL n 'A~- belief: t;. ~<h' L.(l......_~ ~/~-<>vtI .vV'o~~Q..lL.v.. oe.t U; ~'" L c-c.. Cd~~ T'~~ of The /Jut ,f th~. ' D ~et in a duly adVertis:d meeting on the ~ day During such meeting, the ~ v-<j eX ~Ci'''''' L. Ivoted to go into closed session. c.o ~ ~".,Y~Z;.:~ion was called to order at 3.s-; <fOr:;m. and adjourned at 4. The subject matter of the closed portion of the meeting was devoted to the following matter(s) within the exceptio./'rovided in the Open Meetings law: ~Consultation with the county attorney or other legal counsel to discuss pending or potential litigation, settlement, claims, administrative proceedings, or other judicial actions brought or to be brought by or against the county or any officer or employee in which the county or any officer or employee may be directly involved as provided in O.c.G.A. :l 50.14.2(1): _ Discussion of tax matters made confidential by state law as provided by O.C.G.A. 50-14-2(2) and (insert citation to be legal authority making the tax matter confidential) '_ Discussion of real estate as provided by O.C.G.A. 50.14.3(4); _ Discussion or deliberation on the appoinunent, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a county office~ or employee as" provided in O.C.GA 50-14-3(6); _ Other (describe the exemption to the open meetings law): (insert the citation of legal authority exempting the topic) as provided in This ~ day of 1iiI~/lt ,2004. as ~~ ey~ ..,,~~ ,,?~_:..~/ . . :-.: Notary Pubiic, Richmond County, GeorgIa ~'Y Cor:nmlsilon Exp:res Dec. 3, 2007 -