City seeks $204,000 contract for White Oak Park detention‑pond restoration using ARPA/TDEC funds

City staff presented details of a proposed White Oak Park detention‑pond restoration project and a contract recommendation during the Red Bank work session, calling for council authorization of a contract not to exceed $204,000 to Big Woody's Tree Service LLC and noting the work would use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to match a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) water infrastructure grant.

The item matters because staff said the overall project was funded through a $1,615,183 TDEC award plus local matching funds of $480,000, yielding a stated total project amount of $2,279,578; staff described the contract before the commission as a site work procurement necessary to renovate the detention pond footprint and convert portions of retention/detention features to improve aesthetics and safety.

Director Slay described the technical aims: converting retention areas that hold a permanent pool to detention functions that temporarily hold stormwater and release it more slowly, regrading slope conditions, removing overgrowth and debris, and improving maintenance access. “This project will also grade down the slopes of those ponds so that our parks and recreation and recovery boats that are safely able to know that and keep that down,” Director Slay said. Staff said the contract has been vetted by the engineering team and TDEC as part of the grant process and that a pre‑construction meeting was expected within a week or two after final contract execution.

Commissioners asked whether the contract covered all site work and whether additional resolutions would be required for earthwork. Director Slay replied that the single contract with Big Woody's Tree Service would renovate and take care of the entire pond, and that the firm has partnered with a general contractor for portions of the site work. One commissioner observed that the low bidder’s price was roughly $140,000 lower than other bids; staff said the engineering team reviewed the bidder’s qualifications and met with the low bidder to confirm scope and experience and that the bid fell within the project’s projected cost range.

The staff report named the vendor as Big Woody's Tree Service LLC and described that although its company name references tree work, the firm will perform comprehensive site and bank work for this project. The staff presentation referenced Resolution 25‑18‑10 as the authorization item and indicated the project is funded in part with ARPA and the TDEC water infrastructure grant; the transcript shows detailed discussion of procurement, insurance and partnership with another general contractor on the site work.

The transcript does not include a final recorded vote on the consent agenda in the excerpt provided. If approved, staff said construction activities would begin after contract execution and pre‑construction coordination with the contractor and TDEC.

Clarifying details discussed during the meeting included the grant and match numbers noted above, the vetting of the low bidder by engineering staff, and the expectation that the contract package would be finalized and ready for a pre‑construction meeting within one to two weeks of contract signing.

Less central details: staff described past maintenance challenges, overgrowth and debris accumulation in the pond, and some historic references to the procurement timeline during the TDEC review.