Stonecrest approves $117,491 in change orders for Panola Shoals stabilization project; $75,000 scour study approved

The Stonecrest City Council on May 6 approved two change orders and corresponding resolutions for additional engineering and construction services on the Panola Shoals riverbank stabilization and restoration project.

City Engineer Sahari Carrie Karan described the items, saying the site experienced major storm and flooding events after construction began, which altered the riverbank and required additional work. "So the scour analysis and the design is what we are proposing in the first change order for $75,000," Karan said. The council approved a resolution authorizing a second amendment to the contract with Corporate Environmental Risk Management for up to $75,000.

Karan said the work will include a third-party scour analysis to determine permanent erosion-control measures and the design of an "armor" structure to protect the recently built wall from future heavy rainfall and high-velocity flows. "This scour analysis is going to tell you the size and then the height of those armor...based on the velocity of the water coming through for certain rainfall events," she said.

Council also approved a first amendment to the city's contract with PE Structures and Associates LLC for additional services totaling $42,491.30. Karan and staff broke that amount into three parts: a previously completed post-hurricane survey ($10,375), previously completed additional erosion-control measures installed after the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and soil-and-water officials issued notices ($6,166.30), and a pending cross-section survey of the river ($25,950) that staff said would be started immediately if the council authorized the funding.

Deputy City Manager (unnamed) told the council that two items'the initial survey and the additional erosion-control work'had already been completed under emergency authority and were being brought to the council for ratification. "Yes. Two items have been completed. That would be additional erosion control and the new survey...we notated that because those were emergency actions that we requested that the city manager take action on, and she did," the deputy city manager said.

Council members asked about funding and schedule. City staff said the work would be paid from the city's emergency funding line. "There is an emergency funding line there. We're gonna use that to fund this," Karan said. On timing, staff said they expect to complete the project this year and would instruct the engineer to begin survey work immediately upon approval.

Both resolutions passed 4-0 with one member absent. The council also ratified the emergency spending for the completed survey and erosion-control measures and authorized staff to proceed with the pending survey and scour design work if contractors can begin immediately.

The additional work is intended to protect public investments already placed on site and to design permanent erosion controls after recent atypical storm events changed site conditions. The council did not discuss any additional budget amendments beyond using the city's emergency funding line.