Public Works committee approves equipment purchases, contracts and $8.9M Uchee Creek change order

Columbia County’s Public Works and Engineering Services Committee approved a broad set of purchases, engineering agreements and change orders at its Oct. 28 meeting, moving the items into consent and advancing them without recorded roll-call vote tallies in the transcript.

Resolution 25-37: Commissioner Schachter (speaker 3) introduced Resolution 25-37, which would transfer a former State Patrol post to full state ownership but adds a reversionary clause returning the land and building to the county if the property is not used as a State Patrol post. Schachter moved the item and it was seconded and advanced procedurally.

Major contracts and procurements approved or advanced by consent included: - Grasshopper mowers for Rosen Bridges: staff recommended purchase of three mowers for $52,396.23. - Stormwater vehicles: staff recommended approval of two replacement vehicles and one new vehicle for stormwater operations; the transcript’s numeric total for these three vehicles was unclear and is recorded as not specified in the transcript. - Skid steer for recreation: budgeted purchase of a skid steer at $88,900 to reduce rentals and meet increasing parks workloads. - Vermeer mini excavators: a mini excavator for special projects with a low quote recorded as $69,032.78, and a slightly larger mini excavator for the distribution department (budgeted $90,000; a low quote was referenced in the record but the transcript’s numeric text is partially unclear). - Water meters (Census): purchase recommended for $181,546.92 to rebuild inventory for the county’s automatic meter reading system; staff said the county is roughly 95% complete on a county-wide meter conversion with Jefferson Electric. - HVAC replacement at Jim Blanchard Water Treatment Plant: an independent contractor agreement to replace a nearly two-decade-old unit that cools the SCADA/operations building; three quotes were received and staff recommended the low quote (amount recorded approximately in the transcript). - Pipeline cleaning, Phase 2 (American Pipeline Solutions): sole bidder American Pipeline Solutions for $785,300 to perform sponge and ice pigging after launch/receiving stations are installed; staff reported the work should start in February and finish in February if weather cooperates. - MOU with DOT and ISM engineering: an MOU with DOT for a roundabout at Louisville Road and Columbia Road requiring relocation of a 12-inch water line (DOT estimate $403,201.80) and a separate contract with ISM for Series 44 utility drawings ($20,500). - Crown structural evaluation: structural engineering evaluation of a depression at a Halele Farm tank by Crown (manufacturer) for $35,230. - Georgia Power agreement: county to fund $114,871.48 to bring power to the Progress Drive lift station in White Oak Industrial Park with a refund mechanism if users connect within five years. - Uchee Creek Sewer Force Main change order No. 1: staff reported design omissions, additional fittings and unexpected rock/blasting and other storm-related clearing increased costs; the total change order amount was reported as $8,886,982.72 and will be paid from ARPA funds, per the staff presentation. - UV lining rehab change order (Cajun Construction): a change order covering a point repair and UV lining in Walnut Hill Subdivision totaled $96,500 to increase pipe capacity and address a failure. - Furious Ferry Road/Milliken water line abandonment: staff presented an abandonment priced at $40,534.90; inspectors will monitor excavation work while the county proceeds in the project area. - Riverwood Roundabout reconciliation: additional funding requested of $27,524.81. - GDOT and GIAP supplemental agreements: a GDOT supplemental covering $5.2 million of additional funding and a $1.5 million funding shift to Hardeman McManus Road widening; a related $1.5 million shift from Ooch Creek to the Harding/McManus project was presented with staff noting about $1 million surplus remains in the Ooch Creek project. - Pond and Company: contract for Washington Road widening design for $2,538,900 (federal 80/20 split; initial scoping task order not to exceed $25,000). - SNME geotechnical investigations: $48,000 for geotechnical work at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion funded from TAVT disaster recovery. - TriplePoint Engineering: post-closure care, maintenance and compliance contract at Baker Place Road Landfill for $466,300 ($366,300 recurring work + $100,000 for minor task orders under $25,000).

Commissioners asked operational and funding questions on several items — for example, how stormwater vehicle funds roll into fund balance, tariff impacts on meter purchases, inspection oversight for water-main abandonment work and refund mechanisms for Georgia Power reimbursement agreements. Staff responded with budget and procurement process clarifications during the presentations.

Chair (speaker 1) moved two executive-session items after the consent motions and adjourned the meeting at 9:13 a.m. The transcript does not include roll-call vote tallies; most items were advanced by unanimous procedural consent in the meeting record.