Signal Mountain council approves notices of award for two infrastructure projects, cites ARPA funding

The Signal Mountain Town Council on Aug. 29 authorized notices of award to two contractors for municipal infrastructure projects and amended both resolutions to state the work will be funded in part through approved American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The council approved a notice of award to Global Infrastructure Incorporated for a Signal Mountain project with a submitted bid of $1,779,172 and a notice of award to Southeast Company Incorporated for the Weeks Booster Station project to replace booster pump No. 1 with a bid of up to $424,900. Both approvals were passed as resolutions and amended to specify the ARPA funding would be used in part. The Weeks Booster Station award is contingent on the final negotiated contract price being acceptable to the town and within available funding.

Council members debated and approved edits to the resolution language before voting. The edits changed three items in each resolution: (1) insertion of the phrase to be funded, in part, through approved American Rescue Plan Act funds into the title/caption; (2) replacement of the word sufficient with partial in a whereas clause; and (3) insertion of the words paid, in part (or to be funded, in part) in the final now therefore clause. The council also amended the Weeks Booster Station resolution to read that the bid amount is up to $424,900 to reflect that the action is a notice of award and not final contract spending approval.

Mayor Elizabeth Baker presided over the meeting. The council clarified during discussion that the resolutions before them were to authorize notices of award and do not by themselves approve final contract expenditures; a separate resolution or action will be required to authorize actual spending once contracts are negotiated and finalized.

Both resolutions passed on voice votes during the special-called meeting. The transcript records one opposed vote on each measure; member names for the yea/nay votes were not specified in the meeting record.

There were no public comments during the meeting. The council held no additional business and adjourned after the two resolutions were approved.

Votes at a glance - Notice of award to Global Infrastructure Incorporated: submitted bid $1,779,172; amended to state funding will be "in part" from approved ARPA funds; outcome: approved (voice vote; transcript records one opposed vote; names not specified). - Notice of award to Southeast Company Incorporated (Weeks Booster Station): submitted bid up to $424,900; amended to state funding will be "in part" from approved ARPA funds; contingent on final negotiated contract price being acceptable to the town and within available funding; outcome: approved (voice vote; transcript records one opposed vote; names not specified).

Background The amendments to both resolutions were limited to wording specifying the partial use of ARPA funds and clarifying the bid amount language for the Weeks Booster Station award. Council members noted that authorizing a notice of award initiates the procurement process but does not substitute for later action to approve contract expenditures.

Next steps Town staff will proceed with issuing the notices of award and continue contract negotiations. The council did not set specific dates for subsequent contract-approval actions during the special meeting.