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Brunswick County approves engineering contract to advance West Brunswick wastewater plant expansion
Summary
The Board of Commissioners authorized a qualifications-based professional services agreement to design expansion of the West Brunswick wastewater treatment plant after staff said the plant reached roughly 80% capacity; the board also approved a resolution to allow reimbursement of pre-financing capital costs.
County staff presented and the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved a professional services agreement to begin design work on an expanded West Brunswick wastewater treatment plant.
County staff member Mr. Nichols said the county reached about 80% of capacity at the West Brunswick wastewater treatment plant over the past calendar year and must plan for additional capacity as part of state requirements. "At 90%, we have to have permits. And so we need to move forward with design," Mr. Nichols said. He told the board the county issued a request for qualifications, received four proposals and selected McKim & Creed to perform engineering, surveying and design services.
When asked about cost and procurement, Mr. Nichols said the project is a qualifications-based selection and therefore not awarded to the lowest bidder. He asked the board to authorize a professional services agreement and to approve a resolution declaring the county's intent to reimburse itself for capital expenditures made before debt financing.
Commissioners moved and seconded the requested actions and the board voted to approve them. The staff presentation gave a dollar figure for the professional services agreement that was read aloud during the meeting as "in the amount of $2,644,000 and 404 hundred dollars"; the presentation transcript contains that phrasing and the board approved the agreement as presented. The resolution the board approved states the county's intent to reimburse capital expenditures prior to issuing debt financing.
Why it matters: reaching design and permitting milestones for wastewater capacity affects when the county must pursue permits and financing, and it triggers work required by state environmental review processes. The county indicated the expansion schedule accelerated after staff were unable to identify sufficient effluent disposal land for an Ocean Isle Beach project that might have mitigated capacity needs.
The board took the action after questions from commissioners about procurement and qualifications. The county did not provide a projected construction schedule in the presentation at this meeting; staff said they will proceed to design with the selected firm.
Ending: The board approved the professional services agreement and resolution during the June 2 meeting; staff will proceed with the design contract execution and follow-up work to satisfy state permitting requirements.
