Fairway City Council approves annual code updates, pool repairs and several contracts at special meeting

The Fairway City Council met in a special session on Nov. 13, 2024, and approved a package of routine code updates and vendor contracts the council postponed at a prior meeting for lack of a quorum.

The council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 18-14, which incorporates the standard traffic ordinance (50th edition) with the city’s locally listed additions, and Ordinance No. 18-15, which adopts the uniform public-offense code with previously agreed local amendments. Anna, who provided the ordinance redlines in council packets, said members can see exactly what changed in the submitted documents. “I did include a red line of both this year’s and last year’s ordinance and then also the provisions that are changed, just so you could see what’s new,” she told the council.

Council members approved the consent agenda, which included the minutes of the prior regular meeting, claims and appropriations (ordinance 1816, October 2024), a preliminary study contract with Water Resources Solutions for State Park Road flooding (not to exceed $73,000), and a Petersen Park landscaping contract with Smith Brothers Lawn & Landscape LLC (not to exceed $120,000).

Council also authorized several vendor agreements brought forward by staff. Nathan and other staff explained the city will replace aging phone systems at City Hall and the police station with a digital system from Balcom Inc. The motion to authorize the mayor to execute the Balcom agreement (not to exceed $30,000) passed unanimously.

On capital work, the council approved an agreement with Burns & McDonnell for design of 2025 and 2026 capital improvement projects, including a new storm sewer on 59th Street. Staff reported Burns & McDonnell priced a 2025 portion of work at about $20,000 while a competing bid for that piece was $67,000; Roland Park will offset half the 2025 design cost ($10,000), leaving the city’s share reduced for that portion. The motion carried with one abstention by a council member who wished to avoid any perception of conflict of interest.

A substantive operational item addressed the Fairway Pool main drain. Bryce, the staff member working on pool issues, told the council that a main drain cover can no longer be secured and that the drain as installed does not meet updated requirements under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA). Bryce said Lamp Ryerson engineers recommended redesigning and lining the cast-iron pipe from the main drain back to the surge pit and provided an engineering proposal of $13,400 for that scope. Staff told the council they will seek contractor bids, try to use contingency funds to complete as much work as possible in 2024 and, if construction exceeds the city administrator’s unbudgeted authority ($30,000), return to council for approval. The council voted to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Lamp Ryerson for the engineering work after legal review and final contract approval.

Finally, the council approved a new security camera system for the Fairway Pool with Tech Team (not to exceed $55,000). Staff said the existing cameras are about 10 years old, hard to pull usable footage from, and the proposed system will allow remote access for staff to monitor and retrieve video when needed. That motion passed unanimously. The council then adjourned.

What happens next: staff will finalize contracts with legal review, seek contractor bids for the pool work, and, if bids push construction above $30,000, bring a construction contract back to the council for separate authorization.