Facilities Committee Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
For your consideration, please read the minutes from the Facilities Committee Meeting held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room.
Facilities Minutes 5-15-24 with Attachments
To read the minutes, please open or download the pdf from the link above, or you may see more below.
Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water & Sewer Commission
1703 Gloucester Street, Brunswick, GA 31520
Commission Meeting Room
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 1:00 PM
FACILITIES COMMITTEE MINUTES
PRESENT:
Ben Turnipseed, Chairman
Charles Cook, Commissioner
Dave Ford, Commissioner
Andrew Burroughs, Executive Director
ALSO PRESENT:
LaDonnah Roberts, Deputy Executive Director
Todd Kline, Director of Engineering
Pam Crosby, Director of Procurement
David Owens, Director of Finance
Charles Dorminy, HBS Legal Counsel
Janice Meridith, Executive Commission Admin.
Chairman Turnipseed called the meeting to order at 1:00 PM.
Chairman Turnipseed provided an invocation.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Chairman Turnipseed opened the Public Comment Period.
There being no citizens that wished to address the Committee, Chairman Turnipseed closed the Public Comment Period.
APPROVAL
- Minutes from Facilities Committee Meeting April 17, 2024
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Ford to approve the minutes from the Facilities Committee Meeting held on April 17, 2024. Motion carried 3-0-0.
- Contract Award – Pump Stations 2001-2002-2033-2034 Electrical Installation – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs advised that BGJWSC has two (2) funded capital projects that address a total of four (4) pump station upgrades outlined in the most recent update to the BGJWSC Master Plan. These stations are PS 2001, 2002, 2033, and 2034. PS 2001 and 2002 serve the south end of St. Simons Island. PS 2033 and 2034 serve the north end of St. Simons Island. Due to rapidly increasing construction costs, staff elected to manage these projects differently than a single traditional construction contract. BGJWSC will pre-purchase materials and let individual contracts for services as needed to complete the work. Internal staff may be used to complete work as availability allows. Purchases were approved in March for the higher cost electrical items and bypass pumping rental for each station. Staff solicited pricing from multiple electrical contractors for the installation of JWSC-provided materials at these four pump stations. The contractor will be providing conduit, wire, and fittings necessary to extend service to the new electrical equipment as part of their quotes. Staff recommends awarding a contract to Teck Electric, LLC for electric installations at PS 2001, 2002, 2033, and 2034 in the amount of $81,366.
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Ford that the Facilities Committee recommend awarding a contract to Teck Electric, LLC for electric installations at PS 2001, 2002, 2033, and 2034 in the amount of $81,366. Motion carried 3-0-0.
- Contract Award -Highway 17 Water Main Casings – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs stated that BGJWSC has an existing contract with D&C Directional Boring, LLC for as-needed horizontal directional drilling of line sizes up to 8”. There are two separate private development projects that have requested water access across different sections of Highway 17, one at Harry Driggers Boulevard and another at Exit 29. Both locations are opportunities for BGJWSC to install a larger than necessary casing for future expansion of the potable water systems in these locations. Staff requested quotes from D&C Directional Boring to install 16” HPDE casings in these locations, so that carrier pipes of up to 12” may be pulled through at a later date without having to redo the GDOT permitting for these sites. Water services can be pulled through the casings for these two projects and upsized as needed later. The cost for these bores is $178 per linear foot. Both bores are approximately 200 linear feet, bringing the total cost for the two locations to $71,200. Given the opportunity to provide expansion and looping opportunities for our water distribution system presented by these two locations, staff recommends moving forward with these installations.
Commissioner Ford made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook that the Facilities Committee recommend awarding a contract to D&C Directional Boring, LLC for the installation of two casings for water main installations in the amount of $71,200. Motion carried 3-0-0.
- Academy Creek Fence Replacement – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs provided that the chain link fencing at the Academy Creek Water Pollution Control Plant is badly corroded and in a state of disrepair. Galvanized fencing does not typically hold up well around wastewater facilities due to the corrosive environment. Staff requested quotes from three local fencing contractors to replace the existing chain link fencing with black vinyl coating chain link fencing. Staff recommends awarding a contract to Coastal Fencing for the replacement of the fencing at the Academy Creek WPCF in the amount of $29,000.00.
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Ford that the Facilities Committee recommend awarding a contract to Coastal Fencing for the replacement of the fencing at the Academy Creek WPCF in the amount of $29,000.00. Motion carried 3-0-0.
- Change Order No. 1 – Pump Stations 3101-4001-4002 Engineering Services – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs advised that BGJWSC entered an engineering design, bidding, and construction phase services contract with Kimley-Horn on March 23, 2022, for improvements to Pump Stations 3101, 4001, and 4002. An initial set of bid documents was produced by Kimley-Horn that was advertised with one bid received on December 7, 2022, that was substantially over budget for the rehab work. Bids were rejected by the Commission on December 15, 2022. Staff requested Kimley-Horn to remove items from the scope to hopefully increase the bidding pool and reduce the cost of the project to be closer in line with the existing budgets. Kimley-Horn created a new set of bid documents with a significantly reduced scope of work with again only one bid received on August 8, 2023. A construction contract was awarded to Popco, Inc. on August 17, 2023, for the project. The project was still overbudget, but significantly less so. Kimley-Horn has requested a change order to the original contract amount of $160,000 for the descoping and rebidding effort performed. The requested amount of the change order is $20,000.
Commissioner Ford made a motion seconded by Commissioner Cook that the Facilities Committee recommend approving Change Order No. 1 to the engineering services contract with Kimley-Horn for the Pump Station 3101, 4001, and 4002 Rehab Project in the amount of $20,000. Motion carried 3-0-0.
- Dedication of Easements and Infrastructure – T. Kline
- Woodland Cove Phase 2A – Dedication of Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Mr. Kline provided that the Developer of the Woodland Cove single family development has submitted legal documents to define and execute the transfer of ownership. The infrastructure is understood to have complied with applicable standards at the time of construction. JWSC inspection records indicate the infrastructure was constructed to JWSC Standards, is functioning, and is in acceptable condition. All requirements of the JWSC Standards for Water and Wastewater System Design and Construction and Development Procedures have been met, and all related documents submitted.
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Ford that the Facilities Committee recommend the full Commission approve and accept this project with associated documents. Motion carried 3-0-0,
- Agreement for Supplemental Utility Locating Services; Mears Broadband, LLC & BLVD LLC – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs advised that Georgia State law through the Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act (aka. GA
Dig Law) requires anyone using mechanized equipment to excavate, demolish or perform work within ten
feet of overhead power lines to properly apply for the location (marking) of existing utilities. This takes place
through the Georgia 811 “Call Before You Dig” system. As a registered utility owner, the Brunswick-Glynn
Joint Water & Sewer Commission (JWSC) must provide locate and marking of its facilities. The JWSC self
performs utility locates of the public water and sewer assets. JWSC locates are currently conducted by two
full time Locate/GIS staff members. By law, utility owners registered through GA811 must respond to all
locate requests within the legal or negotiated time frame; two business days for routine tickets, or by the
negotiated date for Large Projects which are one mile or greater in scope. LiveOak Fiber, LLC (LiveOak) is
a private utility company that is engaged in a project to comprehensively install new fiberoptic utilities
throughout all of Glynn County. Mears Broadband, LLC (Mears) is contracted by LiveOak to install a major
portion of this infrastructure with construction expected to continue through the end of 2024. Mear’s pace of
work and aggressive schedule in addition to the JWSC’s locate responsibilities for other projects has strained
the capabilities of JWSC Locate staff. Efforts to utilize JWSC Operational staff to supplement the locate
effort after hours has helped but another solution has proven to be necessary. Mears currently contracts with
BLVD, LLC (BLVD) for utility locating services on their installation projects. Mears proposes to utilize
BLVD to supplement existing JWSC water and sewer locate efforts, at no cost to the JWSC. The JWSC
would maintain primary responsibility for locate provision and would not relinquish ownership of response
to the GA811 system. The JWSC would provide BLVD with GIS mapping and documentation to aid in their
locate efforts, while BLVD would focus on keeping ahead on locates required for the LiveOak fiber
installation project. Staff has met with BLVD, reviewed their company’s abilities, and believe them to be
capable of the provision of locate services. Staff believes that BLVD may provide aid that could minimize
damage to the water and sewer assets, as well as allow the JWSC Locate staff to better maintain the balance
of other GA811 locate and GIS responsibilities. The BOC approved a similar agreement with LiveOak
Fiber, LLC and Digital Concrete Imaging, LLC. in November 2023. JWSC Legal has reviewed the attached
contract and approves the content. Staff recommends the JWSC enter into a contract with Mears Broadband,
LLC and BLVD, LLC to supplement the JWSC utility locating efforts.
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Ford that the Facilities Committee
recommend the full Commission enter into contract with Mears, LLC and BLVD, LLC to perform
supplemental utility locating at no cost to the JWSC. Motion carried 3-0-0.
DISCUSSION
- Water Production Report – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs presented the Water Production Report for the month of April 2024 to the Facilities Committee. This report provides the Committee with the monthly and daily water production in millions of gallons for each of the BGJWSC water production facilities (wells). The following are Brunswick District production facilities: Howard Coffin, Goodyear Park, Brunswick Villa, FLETC, I-95, Golden Isles I, Golden Isles II, Canal, and Ridgewood. The South Mainland District wells include Fancy Bluff, Exit 29, and Brookman. Mallery, Airport, Harrington, and Hampton South are the wells located in the St. Simons Island District.
- WPCF Plant Flows Report – A. Burroughs
Mr. Burroughs reviewed the April 2024 Monthly Wastewater Flow Report with the Commissioners. This report contains data regarding the influent and effluent flows, concentration of elements and chemicals, plant capacity, etc. April 2024 had a higher recorded rainfall at Academy Creek than the month of March. The influent flow at Academy Creek for April was 8.4 MGD as compared to March at 8.5. The effluent flow for April increased from March’s 7.2 MGD to 7.9 MGD, with the plant operating at 59% of its capacity. The influent flow at Dunbar Creek for the month of April was 3.7 MGD, and the effluent flow was at 3.5 MGD, with the plant operating at 88% capacity. The influent flow at South Port was N/A and the effluent flow reported at 0.500, with the plant operating at 33% capacity. JWSC’s wastewater treatment plants are operating very well.
- Capital Project Report – T. Kline / A. Burroughs
Mr. Kline and Mr. Burroughs presented an update on the monthly Project Report for Capital Projects currently in process including those in the engineering phase and those in construction. The Commissioners were provided with a packet containing: the Capital Project Photographs, Capital Project Report Spreadsheet, the Capital Project Gantt Chart of project timelines, and the Earned Value Analysis Report. Mr. Kline and Mr. Burroughs presented the update by highlighting projects along with excellent photographs and descriptive details.
Commissioner Cook made a motion seconded by Commissioner Ford to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 3-0-0.
Chairman Turnipseed adjourned the meeting at 2:22 p.m.