Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Valdosta council accepts federal EWP funds, awards $593,779 stream‑clearing contract to Wright Construction Group
Summary
Valdosta’s council authorized use of an Emergency Watershed Protection federal grant (cited by staff at up to $1,050,000) to clear debris from Hightower Creek, 2 Mile Branch and 3 Mile Branch and voted to award the contract to Wright Construction Group, which submitted the low bid of $593,779.
Valdosta’s mayor and council on Oct. 9 approved using Emergency Watershed Protection federal assistance to remove debris from three city streams and awarded the work to Wright Construction Group, the low, responsive bidder.
Ben O’Dowd, the city engineer, told the council the city opened bids that morning and that Wright Construction Group submitted a bid of $593,779. “The low bidder was fully qualifying, and they were responsive to all of the requirements for the bid. And it was Wright Construction Group, and they submitted a bid in the amount of $593,779,” O’Dowd said. He added the staff recommendation was to authorize use of the full grant award to cover the contract plus change orders and contingency.
The project covers three stream segments identified after Hurricane Helene: Hightower Creek, 2 Mile Branch (from Mackay Park to Berkeley) and 3 Mile Branch (roughly from the Winn‑Dixie area toward Country Club). O’Dowd said the work includes clearing beyond buffers where permitted by the grant, overseeding and unit‑priced remediation for damages such as fences or sod. “This is free money,” he said, referring to the federal funds.
Council members asked about the accelerated schedule and property access. O’Dowd said the deadline is tight (staff cited a mid‑January completion window) and that the contractor will be financially incentivized to obtain rights of entry from private owners because payment is calculated per linear foot of stream cleared. To reduce obstacles, staff will mail notices to property owners before work begins and the contract includes unit prices to pay for post‑work remediation if property is disturbed.
Under the grant’s terms, O’Dowd said, the federal program will reimburse only for work within the specified stream segments; clearing outside the grant scope would not be reimbursed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and would be a city expense if pursued.
A council member moved to accept the full grant authorization and to award the work to the low bidder; the motion was seconded and carried by a show of hands. The transcript records that a small number of council members registered “no,” but individual vote names were not specified in the record.
The council directed staff to proceed with contract execution and community outreach; O’Dowd offered to provide council members the grant map by email.
What’s next: staff will notify property owners and finalize the contract with Wright Construction Group; the project timeline calls for completion in January, subject to weather and access.
