(12/28) Design Bid For West Main St. Water Line Replacement Approved

The Planning Commission approved the design bid on the West Main St. and Waynesboro Pike waterline replacement project in December. The bid allows the winning company to begin designing the project that will replace 5,200 linear feet of deteriorating six-inch, four-inch, and two-inch unlined cast iron pipes from the intersection of Frailey Rd. and West Main, up to where West Main and Waynesboro Pike meet.

This is the next project on the priority list after the Depaul St. and North Seton Ave. waterline replacements. According to Town Manager Cathy Willets, the section to be replaced suffers from low water pressure in the west end of town and has had 17 known leaks fixed in the last five years. "It’s just awful," she said, when describing the condition of the pipes.

The scope of the project will eliminate undersized and aging infrastructure. The aged cast iron pipes suffer from a condition called "tuberculation," where bacteria found in the water reacts to the iron found in the pipeline's inner walls, resulting in buildup that forms on the inside of the pipe. The buildup causes reduced pipe diameter and brown water when it becomes dislodged during high force water flow.

Six bids came back for the project and were sent on to be reviewed by the Town’s engineer, RK&K Civil Engineering. The engineers recommended using Fox and Associates, a firm that the Town has used before. "The Town has a longstanding working relationship with Fox and Associates," said Willets. "They are aware of the needs of the Town and the current waterline system." Their bid came in at $206,095 to design the project.

Willets said the Town has the funds to begin the project because they chose not to do the water meter replacement project; however, they will need to obtain State funding and additional grants for the work. The USDA does cover the engineering costs as part of grant funding. The design bid was approved by unanimous vote.

Resolution For Nonresidential Payment Plans Approved

After much time was spent discussing tap fees for nonprofit organizations, the Council approved a resolution that combines any nonresidential (this would include commercial and nonprofit) organizations into one ordinance. Previously, the Town’s ordinance pertained to commercial businesses only and there was no mention of nonprofits.

When Christ Community Church came before the Council earlier this year asking for a reduction in their water and sewer tap fees, the discussion opened a can of worms that had the Council debating what they would do. The Council decided to research how tap fees are calculated, which is a lengthy process requiring research and a code change. Until a decision is made on the fees, Pastor John Talcott of the Church asked if they could use a payment plan, which requires a resolution to the existing payment plan ordinance.

Having worked on the change, Town Attorney Clark Adams explained, "It made sense to me: rather than having two separate plans, we have one plan." The resolution will allow nonresidential projects to be on a quarterly payment plan for their water and sewer tap fees if the Council approves them. If the property in question is sold, the remaining balance will be due immediately upon closing of the sale.

When Commissioner Valerie Turnquist asked what would happen if the applicant couldn’t pay the required 25% deposit upon start of the payment plan, Clark explained that "it is a pretty rigid mechanism. Otherwise, you open a can of worms that could lead to unequal treatment which is never a good thing."

One other change is the minimum required number of taps (both water and sewer) that qualify an applicant for a payment plan was decreased from 25 to 20. The Council lowered the number because Christ Community Church has a total of 22 and would otherwise not qualify for the payment plan. With the above changes in mind, the resolution was approved unanimously.

Sewer Line Camera Project Approved

One of Mayor Frank Davis’ specific projects addressed in the Fiscal Year 25 budget was to use cameras to delve into the sewer lines to determine which pipes would need relined. The intent of using cameras is to document root blockages, cracks, punctures, corrosion, uneven or unaligned pipes, hidden leaks, and other damage to the sewer lines. Damaged pipes allow "Inflow and Infiltration" issues, where rainwater infiltrates the pipes and is then processed by the sewer treatment plant. Davis said, "After the project is completed, it will be saving us money every day because some reports show 60% of wild water is going through the sewer plant that doesn’t need to be treated."

The project would be solely funded by the Town, with $100,000 set aside for FY25 for the camera portion. An additional $125,000 has been set aside for any relining needed in FY-24 and another $75,000 in FY-25. The Council decided if more funding over $100,000 is needed, the project must be revisited by the Council for approval.

The Town has two bids to begin the projects that are itemized per specific action. Town staff requested the bids be specific to show breakdown of costs between lateral connections, the main lines and any traffic control necessary while the work is being done. Reybold Construction Technologies had the lowest estimates per linear foot and was recommended by Town staff. The estimate from Reybold does lock them in for the camera operations, however each individual project will have a separate estimate. Reybold was approved by the Council unanimously.