Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dawson Park Design Spending topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County seeks design changes for Dawson Park, plans SPLOST education push ahead of May 19 ballot
Summary
Oconee County recommended scope adjustments that would add $85,000 net to Carter Engineering’s design contract and shift architectural work to Hill Foley Rossi, and commissioners discussed timelines for a SPLOST referendum education campaign that staff said would ramp up after a Dec. 15 cities meeting and in January ahead of a May 19 vote.
County staff recommended contract and scope changes tied to design work at the Dawson Park site and discussed public outreach timing for a forthcoming SPLOST referendum during the Sept. 30 Oconee County Board of Commissioners meeting.
On the Dawson Park design work, staff said the site plan has changed since the original concept and that additional roundabout designs fall outside the original scope for Carter Engineering. To address that, staff recommended a net scope increase of $85,000 to Carter Engineering’s contract (bringing that contract to $774,000) and moving several architectural items — restrooms, concession buildings and pavilions — to the Hill Foley Rossi architectural contract, increasing that contract to $646,000. Staff also recommended a 10% owner contingency on design services.
A county presenter explained the net increase reflected scope moved from Carter to Hill Foley Rossi and that Carter voluntarily removed that portion of architectural work from its scope. Commissioners pressed for clarity on how the net figures were calculated; staff confirmed Carter’s gross increase would have been larger without the scope reallocation.
On outreach: a commissioner said many young families at local parks were unaware of the Dawson Park plans, and asked when the county would begin public education for the SPLOST question. County staff said the field portion of projects is covered by existing SPLOST and related capital funds, that the county is finalizing budgets and lists for ballot categories, and that a meeting with the cities is scheduled for Dec. 15. Staff said an education “blitz” is planned to start Jan. 1 and run through the months before the ballot; commissioners and staff identified May 19 as the date the referendum would appear on the ballot.
Why it matters: The contract changes and added contingencies alter the county’s design-phase budget for a major park project, while the education timetable sets the public-engagement window for a funding referendum that requires voter approval.
Procedure and next steps: Staff recommended the scope changes and contingency and will proceed with contract modifications if the board approves as part of the consent agenda. Staff will meet with city officials on Dec. 15 as part of the SPLOST coordination process and begin public education activities in January in advance of the May 19 ballot date.
Ending: Commissioners directed staff to continue refining budgets and public-outreach plans; the transcript records the recommended contract modifications and the outreach timeline but does not include a separate roll-call vote on the contract actions within the provided excerpt.
