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Milton council unanimously approves due-diligence task order for newly purchased spray-field property
Summary
Milton City Council approved a task order with Baskerville Donovan for hydrogeological, cultural and environmental studies of 260 acres the city recently purchased for potential spray-field use; the work is on a roughly 10–12 week schedule and is billed monthly based on percent complete.
Milton City Council on July 15 unanimously approved a task order with engineering firm Baskerville Donovan to carry out geotechnical, hydrogeological, cultural and environmental due-diligence work on roughly 260 acres the city recently purchased for a possible spray-field and wastewater plant site.
The council approved the task order after a presentation by Baskerville Donovan representatives and a public-comment period that included local residents raising contour and wetland concerns. “We are on a 120 day ticking clock to do due diligence before we are required to close on this property,” city staff said during the presentation.
The task order covers borehole drilling, geotechnical testing, cultural-resource review and environmental studies. Baskerville Donovan estimated the due-diligence phase would take roughly 10 to 12 weeks and said the drilling portion would give the council an early indication — possibly by the end of week four of work — whether the property is viable for spray fields or rapid infiltration basins. The consultant noted the firm will recommend whether the site should be designed as spray fields or rapid infiltration basins after receiving geotechnical results.
Members of the public asked whether the city could stop the task order midstream if tests showed the site would not work. The consultant said the city could stop the work and would be billed only for work performed to that point; the council’s city staff confirmed the task order language bills by percent-complete and invoices monthly. One council member noted the city would save the full land purchase price if it chose not to close after due diligence.
After discussion, Councilman McKee moved to approve the task order and Councilman Powell seconded. The motion was “unanimously approved by all members present.” Council and staff said, if the council directs work to stop, contractors would be paid only for completed work to the date of termination.
The consultant also updated the council on related project elements: a 16-inch effluent pipeline that is partially constructed, pump-station designs at various completion stages, Site 2 spray-field design (permitting under review) and a proposed layout that aims to avoid steep contours for the plant footprint. The presentation said the city is seeking FAA, FDOT and railroad permitting for pipeline routing in parts of the alignment.
Public commenters raised slope and buffer concerns near wetlands and asked whether portions of the purchased tract could be excluded from closing if tests failed. City staff said the purchase contract allows the council to decline to close if due-diligence conditions are not met and that the council would re-enter negotiations if needed.
The council motion authorizes the city to proceed with the consultant task order and to sign contracts with listed subcontractors; staff said the subcontractors were prepared to start once contracts were executed.
