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Staff seeks direction to design permanent fleet and public-works building rather than temporary trailers
Summary
Missy Stall (staff) told the board the city contracted Lowe’s Design to develop concept and civil plans for the CSA site and has asked the firm to prepare a contract amendment to include civil design for the fleet building.
Missy Stall (staff) told the board the city contracted Lowe’s Design to develop concept and civil plans for the CSA site and has asked the firm to prepare a contract amendment to include civil design for the fleet building and the five‑year site plan.
Stall said the fleet building is intended as permanent infrastructure and argued the city should consider moving straight to a permanent building rather than buying multiple construction trailers. She noted trailers cost about $90,000 each and that the city would need roughly six to eight trailers for public works (estimated $720,000) and additional trailers for utilities; lead times for trailers are seven to eight months.
Aldermen discussed alternatives including Connex (shipping‑container) modular options. Staff said Connex boxes can be purchased at low raw cost but require build‑out for plumbing, HVAC and finishes; depending on the fit‑out, Connex solutions can become comparable to other temporary solutions. Alderman Fuqua and others favored building a permanent facility given long‑term depreciation and maintenance costs on temporary units and the desire to show investment in public‑works employees.
Public‑works and utilities scheduling also affected the timing: the fleet building’s location is tied to the sewer/equalization basin and headworks expansion schedules, and staff said the equalization and headworks projects could be ready to go to bid within roughly 30–40 days once final comments and TDEC submissions are complete. Staff cautioned that civil drawings and site work require time, permitting and coordination with TDOT for driveway access, and that some earthwork and wetland issues at the site will affect schedule and cost.
The board asked staff to provide comparative cost estimates — temporary trailers, Connex modular buildouts, and a permanent masonry building — and to return before proceeding. Staff committed to including a contract amendment from Lowe’s Design for civil design and to bring cost comparisons to the board.
