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Water Resources Board approves easement payments, design amendments and contract changes totaling multiple hundreds of thousands
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Summary
The board approved consent items and multiple contract amendments: additional easement funds for Thompson/Wayne Thompson Lane, an SSR amendment for Headworks recommissioning (~$402,000), SSR pump-station design addition (~$163,000), a pump-station design contract (~$148,000) and a final deductive change order for Salem Barfield (~$490,652).
At its Aug. 26 meeting the Water Resources Board approved a series of consent items and contract amendments affecting right-of-way acquisition, plant design and pump-station work.
Motions carried by voice vote; minutes recorded repeated "all those in favor say aye" and "motion carries," but the transcript did not record individual roll-call tallies.
Key approvals and motions included:
- Thompson/Wayne Thompson Lane revised easement offers: Staff asked for approval of an additional $191,000 in easement funds tied to counteroffers, bringing the total requested to $880,644. The presenter explained the board had originally approved $689,000 and that new counteroffers — led by a large parcel owned by Swanson Development — increased the request. Legal will review and city council will be notified before grants of counteroffers or any condemnation actions. A board member moved to approve; the motion carried.
- SSR amendment for Headworks Building recommissioning: The board approved an amendment of about $402,000 to a task order to revise the Headworks design. Staff said the new design will remove enclosure walls, reclassify the hazard area and avoid the need for explosion-proof electrical equipment, reducing long-term equipment costs (staff cited a $2 million equipment-avoidance savings in discussion). The amendment also covers connections for Cherry Lane force mains and a new truck load-out. A motion to approve the additional $402,000 carried.
- SSR task-order amendment adding County Farm Road pump station to pump-station improvements: The board approved adding County Farm Road to the pump-station improvements task order, increasing the task order by about $163,000 to a new total of $488,500. Staff said upgrades (faster pumps, new belts and controls, relocation of controls out of the dry well and an on-site generator) would free capacity and referenced an increase from roughly 690–1,300 gallons per minute as part of the station's potential. A motion to approve carried.
- Pump station design proposal for Middle Tennessee Electric property: The board approved a CIA Engineering proposal for pump-station design work in the amount of $148,000 to be paid from capital reserves. Staff noted the utility intends to recoup costs through a future assessment district as properties connect. Motion carried.
- Salem Barfield Sewer Upgrades final balancing change order: The board approved a deductive final change order in the amount of $490,652. Staff explained the contractor completed punch-list items, including an under-river ductile-iron pipe repair and interior coating repairs, and recommended closing the project after legal and purchasing review. Motion carried.
Other board business included the fiscal-year stormwater annual report presentation and a dashboard update on construction at the WERF, where crews temporarily shut off reuse service to relocate a 24-inch reuse line. Staff praised the contractor's coordination during the outage and said the reuse shutdown was completed without prolonged service interruption.
Each motion was moved and seconded (mover/second not always captured by name in the transcript). Where speakers or movers were not named in the record, the meeting transcript used generic motion language ("I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda," etc.), and the board approved items by voice vote.

