Board concurs with ARP-funded stormwater improvement bid for fairgrounds; staff to submit for external review

The Hilltop Facility Board on Aug. 7 concurred with staff’s recommendation to award an American Rescue Plan (ARP)–funded stormwater improvement contract for work at the county fairgrounds.

James Maiden, presenting the stormwater report, said the county will post the annual state stormwater report for 30 days for public comment and that no board action was needed on that report. Maiden then sought the board’s concurrence for an ARP-funded stormwater improvement award; he said staff must submit the award package to the grant reviewer (referred to in the meeting as ARPDEC) for approval before contracts can be finalized.

During discussion a board member characterized the available ARP funding as “about half a million,” and staff later cited the total bid award as 4.83 and said the project budget was about 5.60, leaving some room for contingencies. The meeting transcript does not specify currency units for the 4.83 and 5.60 figures; staff described the available funds as allowing contingencies. The board was told the contractor proposed to perform the work is Bass Excavator Construction and that the county previously tracked other ARP allocations to utility districts.

Maiden described the scope as stormwater quality and quantity improvements across portions of the fairgrounds, including work around the Tennessee-made building and the Fiddler’s Grove area; the work is intended to improve on-site detention, infiltration and runoff controls and to address areas where runoff had impacted neighboring property in the past.

A motion to concur with the bid award and move forward with the grant-submission process was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript contains no roll-call vote tally. Maiden said staff aim to meet the grant reviewer’s deadline for having contracts in place by the end of the month so work could proceed this fall if approvals are returned in time.

Board members asked whether the ARP-funded project duplicated other state-funded projects; staff said this work is funded by the ARP grant and is separate from another state-funded project paid with state fair money. Staff said prior ARP awards to utility districts were for items such as meter replacements, while this ARP grant may be used to upgrade existing infrastructure.

The board recorded concurrence with the recommendation and directed staff to submit the award package for external review. No contract was signed at the meeting.