Pine Mountain council authorizes alternative storm‑drain plans for Sullivan Circle

The Town of Pine Mountain Mayor and Council on Jan. 27 authorized Precision Planning, Inc. to prepare contractor plans for an alternative design to the Sullivan Circle drainage project that would extend storm piping along Sullivan Circle and avoid a proposed V‑shaped ditch, according to the meeting record.

The measure grew out of the Town’s outreach to a property owner, identified in the transcript as Mr. Williams, about easements needed for the project. Mayor Mary Ruth Mullins asked Justin Oliver whether the Town had received a reply; Oliver reported the Town had not heard back. The transcript says the Town had requested a response by Jan. 26, 2026.

Representatives of Precision Planning told the council that if easement arrangements with the property owner cannot be reached and work must be limited to the right‑of‑way, a narrow, steep‑sided V‑shaped ditch would pose maintenance and safety concerns. Precision Planning recommended extending the storm pipe through the properties owned by Mr. Williams so the project could proceed without relocating the water main. The consultant said a pipe trench would be narrower than the ditch profile, which could avoid the need to move the water line.

The consultant presented a draft work‑scope adjustment and pricing document for the council’s review. Councilmember Thomas E. Scott made a motion authorizing Precision Planning to prepare plans and documentation for the contractor incorporating the alternative approach (relocating the water main where necessary and extending the storm drain installation, and excluding a V‑shaped ditch); Stokeley Pound seconded the motion. The transcript records James W. Trott Jr., Curtis Bray and Frankie Mabry voting in favor. The votes of the mover and seconder and other members (if any) are not recorded in the transcript.

With the authorization in place, Precision Planning is expected to prepare the contractor‑level plans and documentation for the alternative design. The meeting record shows the council adjourned after the vote; the transcript does not specify next steps, timelines, or funding details for construction.

Clarifying details from the meeting record: the Town requested a response from the property owner by Jan. 26, 2026 (the meeting occurred Jan. 27), Precision Planning presented a draft work‑scope adjustment pricing document, and the consultant cited maintenance and safety concerns about a V‑shaped ditch in a constrained right‑of‑way.