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St. Clair County engineers review paving, bridge planning, equipment auction and generator options
Summary
County engineer and property manager updated commissioners on paving operations, a planned Wolf Creek debris removal, hydrology work for a bridge replacement, a $430,000 auction guarantee for surplus trucks, a $5,623 change order to color a new equipment building, and a proposed 150 kW generator with estimated installed cost around $120,000–$150,000.
County engineering and property-management staff used the May 21 work session to brief the commission on active road work, planned bridge design updates, equipment dispositions and capital maintenance needs.
Clay Phillips, filling in as county engineer, said paving crews have been working in the Wateree and Tassey areas and are moving toward Wolf Creek and Show Creek areas, and he reported contractors on the Wolf Creek debris removal project were mobilizing. Phillips said he has contacted ALDOT about whether some federal funds could be used to bring a Riverside Bridge detour up to a standard that allows use as a detour, and he has asked the original hydrology/hydraulics engineering firm (now Atlas) to update plans for the bridge replacement.
Phillips also noted a final invoice from the Ragland Water Authority to relocate a waterline at the Macedonia Road bridge that will be needed for the replacement project next fiscal year, and he summarized a J.M. Wood auction scheduled June 16–18 to sell two Kenworth triaxles with a guaranteed minimum of $430,000 (about $215,000 per truck), historically a revenue source for the road department.
Property manager Rodney Wolf reported facilities updates including the old asphalt building (interior cleanup in progress) and raised roof, drainage and ventilation considerations for a possible full reroof. Wolf told commissioners two park benches have been ordered (PO ready) at a cost of $3,910 and discussed temporary storage and anchoring decisions during campus construction.
On critical infrastructure, Wolf presented recent load data and vendor estimates for replacing an aging generator. He said winter peak demand reached 168 kVA (about 151 kW) and suggested a 150 kW generator could be appropriate. Wolf noted a vendor quote of about $121,856 for the generator and transfer switch and said installation, trenching, meter set and other site work could bring the full project cost toward $150,000, depending on trenching and meter fees. He also recommended considering power-management devices (time-delay controls) to stagger HVAC startups and reduce transfer-switch stress.
A separate building project will require a color/material change order for a new equipment storage building to match campus colors; the change order is an increase of $5,623 to switch from Galvalume to a colony green finish. Phillips also flagged an access agreement request to pay a landowner $5,000 for five years of access to remove beaver dams blocking work on a 411 road project; the payment would allow the water company to relocate a water line so the road work can proceed.
What happens next: Several of these items (change order, personnel recommendations, generator procurement specifics and any budget amendments) are on the agenda for the commission’s next regular meeting. Staff were directed to obtain formal quotes, POs and contract documents for review and to return with budget language where required.
