HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-06-2016 workshop City Council of Peachtree City
Workshop Minutes
December 6, 2016
The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in workshop session on Tuesday, December 6, 2016.
Mayor Vanessa Fleisch opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kim
Learnard, and Phil Prebor.
The purpose of the workshop was:
• Peachtree City Fiscal Outlook: 2016 Financial Review (unaudited)
• Lake Peachtree Spillway
o Spillway design progress/updated cost estimate
o Bathymetric Survey,including drawing depicting the level of the lake during spillway
construction
o Mitigation strategies for Lake Peachtree siltation
Fleisch noted the Lake Peachtree presentation would be first. City Manager Jon Rorie said there
were three pieces to the presentation, with Dan Davis and Rich Greuel of Integrated Science &
Engineering (ISE) as the presenters.
Greuel said things were on schedule, noting the spillway design had been authorized in April. The
preliminary planning meeting was held in June, and the final concept for the spillway was selected in
September. All the modeling was complete, and the key objectives that had been met included
ensuring the new spillway design met current Georgia Safe Dams standards and that flooding would
not increase during 100-year storm events either upstream or downstream of the dam.
Greuel continued that they were currently in Phase 3 (Preliminary Design) of nine phases. Phase 9
was when the lake was back in service after the spillway was completed. The preliminary design was
done, and after the concept was presented at this meeting, work on the construction plans would
begin. Greuel said the construction plans should be completed in May, then the bid process would
start.
Learnard clarified that construction would take place from August 2017 to April 2018. Greuel said
they might be able to accelerate that timeline. Rorie said they had asked for a better ending date
and were trying to get ahead of any bad weather. He hoped they would be at least one month
ahead of schedule.
Learnard asked for clarification on why the piano key weir was chosen, adding she would do all she
could to get the word out. Greuel confirmed that the piano key weir would fit better in the
constrained area, would help avoid mechanical devices that could have mechanical issues later,
and would not increase the flood levels upstream or downstream during a 100-year storm event.
Randy Bass of Schnabel Engineering said they had to go with a computational fluid dynamic model
because of the shape of the piano key weir. Another constraint was the channel beneath the bridge
downstream was a constriction point that could cause the water to back up onto the spillway in a
big storm.
The modelling was finalized, and Bass said they knew the final dimensions of the piano key weir. To
meet the standards for a storm event for a Category 1 dam, the top of the dam had to be raised by
two feet either with a berm or a parapet wall. They would re-run the model just to ensure the
additional two feet did not affect the Category 1 requirements. It would be designed to Category 1
standards, and the City would need to deal with the state concerning inspections.
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December 6,2016
Page 2
Susan Duncan pointed out her home was located right at the current dam, and she had concerns,
asking if the dam would be in the exact same location.
Frank DeStadio asked if they were raising the height of the dam or the spillway. Bass said the height
of the dam would be raised. In order to meet the standards for a Category 1 dam, they had to either
make the spillway wider or put more water over the dam. It was easier to make the dam higher, and
there would be "more bang for the buck" by making it higher rather than wider. Everything was
designed so the normal pool of the lake would be the same as it was today during storm events.
Bass noted the location of the new spillway and the existing spillway, saying the water level would be
the same in back of her house. Duncan asked what the noise level from the cofferdam would be,
noting it was quiet now. Bass said that during construction of the cofferdam there would be earth-
moving equipment, saws, and drills. When the cofferdam was done, there would be water flowing
over it like a waterfall. Duncan asked if the possibility of flooding would be greater during the
construction. Bass said the cofferdam was designed for a 50-year event, and it was very rare for that
to occur during that six-month construction period.
Public Information Officer/City Clerk Betsy Tyler noted the lake level would also be lowered and
would accommodate additional rainfall. Bass said one of the reasons for lowering the lake was to
store water from storms.
Greuel explained the lake had to be lowered approximately eight feet so the cofferdam could be
built. After the cofferdam was constructed, the water would be brought back up by two feet. After
the foundation of the spillway was completed, the water level should be down about four feet low
during the final phases of construction.
Davis said they had also discussed lowering Lake Kedron as protection during the construction with
the Fayette County Water System. Lake Kedron would be lowered by two feet temporarily, and after
the foundation was in place, would be brought back to normal pool. Greuel said that most of the
watershed that fed Lake Peachtree came via Lake Kedron. He continued that it would take two
months to build the cofferdam. The lake would be very shallow until the foundation of the new
spillway was done, then there would be an evaluation to see if the water level could come up two
feet.
Ken Whitsill clarified that construction would begin in August, asking when the lake drainage would
start. Greuel said the drainage would be the start of the project in August.
Duncan asked if the multi-use paths near the spillway would remain open during construction. Greuel
said the paths along the side of the lake up to Battery Way would remain open, but the path on
McIntosh Trail might be re-routed. Rorie said the paths would not be used for construction traffic, and
construction traffic would be on the dam side of the spillway.
Tom Fulton asked why the work would start in August, which was the middle of the usage season for
the lake, asking if there were any construction issues with waiting a month. Greuel said there were no
issues from an engineering standpoint. Rorie said the timing of the construction was a moving target.
The issue was the vegetation growth. If the lake was lowered in the summer months, it would impact
the use of the lake. The key was trying to get the design documents in place so decisions could be
made to put the City in the best window to avoid vegetation growth, minimize impacts on use of the
lake, and get construction done before the next spring or summer.
Fulton said there would not be much vegetation, asking if they could shift it a month. Rorie said they
would try to target a window that provided the best opportunity for everybody.
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December 6,2016
Page 3
Whitsill asked if the lake would have to be drained to take the cofferdam out. Bass said removing the
cofferdam was part of the environmental permit, but it could be removed in the wet, if they had to
do that. Greuel added they did not want to be in a massive drought or have massive floods, but they
would work with the Fayette County Water System.
Greuel noted the updated cost estimate was $3.46 million, which was within 10% of the estimate in
September ($3.1 million). The recommended contingency was 15% ($519,000). During the next
phase, they would get more hard numbers for the contractors to look at.
The proposed schedule to build the new spillway and lake levels were:
• Stage 1 -Lower Lake Peachtree 8.5 feet
o Approximately 3 Weeks
• Stage 2-Construct Coffer Dam
o Approximately 4 Weeks
• Stage 3-Lower Lake Kedron 2 feet/ Raise Lake Peachtree 2-feet
• Stage 4-Construct New Spillway Foundation
o Approximately 3 Months
• Stage 5-Raise Lake Peachtree 2 feet
• Stage 6-Construct New Spillway Walls/Weirs
o Approximately 3 Months
• Stage 7-Return Lake Peachtree to Full Pool
Greuel discussed the potential bridge located at the spillway, saying it had been added to the
renderings as a place holder and was not the actual bridge/location. Greuel and City Engineer
Dave Borkowski had met with a bridge supplier that had done a lot of work in the City. A thrust arch
bridge was being considered because there were be no piers down in the plunge pool, and it would
be a single span over the entire spillway. Thrust arches were good at spanning distances, and it
would need to span approximately 160 feet. They also did not want the bridge to be a cage, but
wanted something more open as people walked across the spillway. Fleisch asked Greuel to
compare the elevation of the new bridge to the current bridge on McIntosh Trail. Greuel said the
bridge would be higher than the spillway.
Bob Grove noted that the bridge on Kelly Drive was very narrow with a high curb, asking if the new
bridge would be able to handle two-way traffic. Fleisch said it would, and people would be able to
walk on the bridge at the same time. Rorie added that the current paths would be removed from
McIntosh Trail.
Greuel said the path would be at the top of the wall, with the weir below. If Council was in
agreement with the concept, they would design the abutments of the bridge with the spillway
design. He continued that it was better to put the abutments in during construction, even if the City
did not immediately build the bridge. Rorie asked what the bridge cost would be. Greuel said it
would be $400,000. Rorie pointed out that the spillway was an asset that would last more than 50
years. This was the time to at least build the abutments, when it could be done right, and the cost
would be a quarter of what it would be to add them later. The option for the bridge would remain
open.
Learnard asked if the abutments were specific to the thrust arch bridge. Greuel said yes, but they
could be retrofitted if a different style bridge was chosen later.
Whitsill asked if the abutments were an integral part of the design for the spillway. Greuel said the
walls were an integral part of the spillway, and the abutments would mount into the walls. Bass
explained the abutments would be downstream of the spillway and socketed into the training walls
of the spillway, not into the piano keys, but the stilling basin.
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December 6,2016
Page 4
Greuel asked Council if they agreed on the design of the abutments as part of the wall, and the
consensus was yes. Greuel said they were now moving into Phase 4, and they would start designing
construction plans.
Greuel discussed what dredging the lake would look like going forward and the bathymetric survey.
A lot of sediment had been removed during the dry dredging, but that would not be done again.
Greuel and Davis said they came up with three points for Council to consider. The first would be to
wait the required time to dredge again and to consider hydraulic dredging instead of lowering the
lake. A barge would be in the lake with a tiller head that would till the sediment and suck it into a
pump, then send the sediment to be de-watered on shore. The advantage was the lake would not
have to be lowered.
In the early to mid-1990s, a sediment trap had been permitted that had been somewhat successful in
keeping sediment from getting into the main body of the lake. Borkowski had found information
regarding cleaning out the sediment trap, which was full again in a year. The City could permit the
sediment trap again, but there were be a lot of repetitive actions. They had met with the Corps of
Engineers, who said the City could possibly get a permit again, but it could require mitigation. Given
the history, the City would have to dredge the sediment trap every one to two years.
King said he did not know if the lagoon area (the portion of the lake north of SR 54) had been
dredged, noting it had not since he moved to the City, and the sand and sediment buildup could be
seen. Rorie said the process could have been abandoned. Greuel agreed. King said he would like
to see the cost comparison between cleaning up the sediment trap every few years and a dredging.
It might be worth it every two-five years.
DeStadio asked if any upstream mitigation had been considered. The sides of the banks along Flat
Creek had gone in six to eight feet and trees had come down. No matter what was done at the
lake, it would continue to fill with sediment if the problem was not stopped. Greuel said his
experience with streambank mitigation/stream restoration gave some help, but it was extremely
expensive and there would continue to be private property issues as well. The question was the
economy of scale between doing one dredging every 10 years or doing it once a year. It was also
difficult to determine the replenishment rate of the sediment.
Greuel said another option was to get a permit for the sediment trap and have less intensive
dredgings every few years. Ernst asked if there was access to the sediment trap on the north side.
Borkowski said an access road was shown on the plans, but the road was no longer there.
Davis said the County's contract for the dry dredging was for$1.6 million. He did not know the final
price since there were several change orders and a lot of rock. The median bids had been around
$2.4 million, which was probably the real price for the work that was done. He noted that a small
dredge could be purchased for$175,000. Maintenance dredging could be done according to the
Corps of Engineers. The work that was done before had been performed under a nationwide permit.
There was an existing area that could be accessed on a permanent basis, and there were Public
Works crews that were more available during the winter. The economics should be explored. The
Public Works crews had shown they were capable. The dredge was operated by one person. There
would enough room for 20 truckloads worth of sediment, and the City had the dump trucks. The last
challenge would be where to take the silt.
There were other shallow areas by Battery Way dock and other locations where the small dredge
would be used. The machine could be pulled by a truck and used in some of the ponds. They
needed to explore the economies, but the north lagoon would be a frequent scenario, Davis said.
The silt would then work its way down into the lake. Rorie said the charge for the dredging had been
by the cubic yard, so there could be a benefit to getting the silt out before it built up.
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December 6,2016
Page 5
Fleisch asked if this dredge could be used in Three Ponds. Davis said this machine only needed nine
inches of water to float in and could dig as deep as 20 feet.
Pam Kemp asked how much the dredge weighed and if a road was needed to tractor it around.
Davis said it had wheels, and Rorie noted the City already moved heavy equipment around.
Fleisch asked what other places had one. Davis said there was a company in Tennessee that
marketed the equipment, both new and used, and in all sizes. He had confidence that the crews in
Public Works could learn how to operate it. Davis said the machine was simple, and a crew of three
could operate it for five hours a day.
Rorie said streambank restoration/mitigation all the way up the stream would be very costly with very
little return on investment. They could deal with the siltation trap routinely every two, three, or four
years, and they did not have a track record for that to know what was needed. They also did not
have a track record in terms of the silt buildup in the main body of the lake because there had not
been a bathymetric survey until now. There was now a baseline for future decisions. The bathymetric
survey would be redone in 10 years, near the end of the contract. Another bathymetric survey might
need to be done before that to see what was happening. Davis said that would be easy to do and
would be very inexpensive.
Davis said there was still a continuing source of silt feeding into the lake. There were engineers that
modeled sediment transport, and they could go to the creek banks and do geotechnical testing of
the soil types, then determine how much sand the lake would get per year. Bank restoration would
help. Rorie said there was no right answer, just what would put the best foot forward. They had
presented opportunities and options.
Fleisch asked if there were other ways of letting people know what was going on with the dam and
spillway, such as signage at different points along the lake. Rorie said yes, adding these were key
visual projects, and informational signage should be placed. Prebor added that the City needed to
make sure everyone was well-informed. Many residents were concerned. Rorie said staff would look
at what to do after the first of the year.
• Peachtree City Fiscal Outlook: 2016 Financial Review(unaudited)
Rorie emphasized this was an unaudited end of fiscal year review, noting there were reviews and
changes during the year. He continued that the City's budget policy drove the decisions that were
made. The budget policy:
Budget Policy
The City's primary objective is to provide a standard of budgetary performance that both
staff and Council have endorsed and to provide budgetary decision making with greater
continuity, reinforcing the City's core financial values and preserving them for successive staff
and council.
• Baseline and Service Level Funding
The City's top program priority is to maintain existing service levels in all divisions and
departments. A baseline should be set and serve as an agreed upon point of departure for
subsequent budget discussions ie: a new facility or service. Any additional services above the
baseline shall be fully funded at the time of the adoption of the annual budget and ongoing
funding sources shall be clearly identified. Such ongoing funding sources must be either new
or increased revenues or clearly identified expense reductions.
Rorie noted that the underlined sentence set a baseline, adding that it did not matter whether it was
a dredging project or spillway design/construction, there had to be a baseline. He said they were
close to having that baseline budget established with the budget process over the last five years.
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December 6,2016
Page 6
There were always tweaks that would be needed along the line. If a decision was made to purchase
a $200,000 piece of equipment, it meant the service level would change because there was another
capital need or maintenance to budget going forward. There would be an unaudited analysis of the
fiscal year annually going forward because it set the stage for where the City was going and how it
would get there.
Financial Services Director Paul Salvatore said the financial model adopted for FY 2016 used $769.000
in cash reserves to meet the service level objectives. At that point, Salvatore said Rorie had not
recommended using more than the$769,000 to monitor what happened to revenues during the year.
That had provided an extended opportunity to evaluate revenue streams from ad valorem taxes, title
ad valorem taxes (TAVT), sales taxes, and protected the cash reserve fund balance. Salvatore
continue that$1.02 million had been used to increase street resurfacing from $645,000 to $1.8 million,
$225,000 had been added to cart path paving materials ($440,000 to $665,000); $71,000 was used for
engineering plans for SR 54/MacDuff Parkway and SR 54/Planterra Way, and $79,000 had been
appropriated for an additional detective in the Police Department. Using only $769,000 had allowed
additional contingency appropriations for storm response, emergency repairs, economic
development initiatives, litigation expenses,short-term traffic improvements, and more.
Salvatore looked at the five-year model adopted with the FY 2016 budget, which showed the use of
$769,598 in cash reserves. It also showed that cash reserves would not be used much later on in the
model. There had been a 0.25 mill tax increase programmed for FY 2017. Excess growth in the tax
digest had helped to eliminate the tax increase as well as holding the FY 2017 budget flat from FY
2016.
The FY 2016 adopted budget had a zero mill increase, with the millage rate staying at 6.756.
Predicted revenues were $32,750,209, with projected use of $769,598 in cash reserves, for total
revenues of $33,519,807. Total expenses were projected at $33,519,807. The increase in value in the
tax digest had eliminated the use of cash reserves. Ad valorem taxes had been 37.6%of the FY 2016
General Fund revenues; followed by Local Option Sales Tax (LOST),19.9%; other taxes, 14.2%; other
revenues, 11.3%; franchise taxes, 8%; fines and forfeitures, 3.4%; licenses and permits, 3.3%; and fund
balance, 2.3%.
Salvatore presented the actual revenues versus budgeted revenues as of September 30:
General Fund Revenues-FY 2016 Budget vs Actual Summary
Original Budget Actual Difference
Ad Valorem Taxes $12,599,446 $12,386,452 ($212,994)
Title Ad Valorem Tax(TAVT) $1,249,150 $984,423 ($264,727)
Local Option Sales Tax(LOST) $6,675,093 $6,787,239 $112,146
Franchise Taxes $2,694,392 $2,601,670 ($92,722)
Insurance Premium Tax $1,909,016 $2,144,799 $235,783
Hotel/Motel Tax $788,574 $807,095 $18,521
Other Taxes $1,598,911 $1,648,504 $49,593
Licenses&Permits $1,090,326 $1,081,058 ($9,268)
Intergovernmental Grants $487,902 $494,502 $6,600
Charges for Services $2,238,961 $2,103,716 ($135,245)
Fines&Forfeitures $1,142,240 $998,608 ($143,632)
Interest Earnings $53,550 $85,417 $31,867
Miscellaneous Income $222,648 $347,153 $124,505$279,573)
$32,750,209 $32,470,636 (
Use of Cash Reserves $769,598
Total Sources of Funds: $33,519,807
City Council Workshop
December 6,2016
Page 7
Salvatore noted that the TAVT projections might need to be adjusted because it was basically
unpredictable. They would keep a close eye on the TAVT in FY 2017, which could require a budget
adjustment. There were other variances as well. Fleisch asked what percentage of LOST the City
received. Salvatore said it changed every year during this 10-year period, and he was not sure what
it was for FY 2016. Overall, the City ended up approximately $280,000 short of what was originally
budgeted,which was within 1%of the original estimates.
Rorie added that the state had taken the stable vehicle ad valorem tax and turned into a volatile
revenue source. The LOST also had its ups and downs. Until 2009, the ad valorem had been stable.
During the year, the revenues and expenditures fluctuated, and staff monitored that so decisions
could be adjusted throughout the year. He commended Salvatore, saying that throughout the
waxing and waning of the economy, Salvatore had made good decisions.
Salvatore continued that the expenditures had ended up very favorable, with the exception of one
item. The majority of paving was not completed in FY 2016, so the majority of that funding had been
carried over into FY 2017. Several FY 2016 budget amendments had increased the use of cash
reserves to $990,213. There had been $266,213 in unspent carryovers from FY 2015. Additional funds
had been needed for right-of-way mowing ($14,000), SAFEbuilt ($33,000), overtime labor ($12,000),
tree removal ($40,000), Lake Peachtree spillway ($300,000), an unanticipated land purchase
($300,000), and IT projects ($25,000). The ending budgeted use of cash reserves had been over$1.7
million, but$1.3 million had been spent.
Rorie said all the departments were asked to execute their budgets at 98%, but variances in that goal
did occur. Municipal Court was$27,000 over budget. There had been probation, indigent care, and
credit card expenses that were difficult to track and estimate. The Fire Department had been over
by $9,000 due to deployments and injuries that required an increase in part-time staffing. Due to
these types of variables, Rorie ran an expense report at least once a quarter for each department.
Prebor asked why SAFEbuilt had been increased. Rorie said additional contract help had been
added to assist with the front desk, plan review, and other items. The split with SAFEbuilt had also
changed, and the costs would go up because they were directly related to building and permitting,
which were on the rise. Salvatore said the good news was the revenue would increase as well.
The adopted five-year model for FY 2017 showed a minimal increase in the cash reserves of $43,543,
Salvatore said. The projected use of cash reserves in FY 2016 had been $1.4 million. Actual use of
cash reserves was $1 18,227, which Salvatore said was distorted due to the $1.2 million carryover for
paving. The City had actually come in approximately $116,000 better than what was originally
projected for FY 2016.
There had already been expense adjustments for FY 2017 that included $1.2 million in unspent
carryovers (mostly street paving), $23,550 for a part-time Planning position, (L2 ,,_CO) miscellaneous
additional savings, and ($223,000) in health insurance administrative cost savings. The revenue side
adjustments included TAVT ($220,000), cable franchise taxes ($22,000), fines and forfeitures ($30,000),
Insurance Premium Tax ($168,000), and $2,343 in miscellaneous adjustments. Salvatore said he would
lower the revenue estimates by $100,000 in FY 2017. There had been a hard expense savings in the
health insurance administrative costs, which would continue to save the City $150,000 each year
thereafter. Based on what they now knew, Salvatore expected the $11,432,800 in cash reserves in FY
2017 to increase by$239,000.
Salvatore looked at capital projects and bond debt, noting that two loans would be paid off during
FY 2017 - a 2001 City-wide capital improvement loan and a 2002 loan for a land purchase. An
equipment lease would also be paid off during FY 2017. The total General Fund supported debt
service after FY 2017 would be $10,466,110, which was the equivalent of 5.274 mills. The General Fund
City Council Workshop
December 6,2016
Page 8
debt service payment each year was the equivalent of 1.349 mills, or approximately $3 million per
year.
Salvatore said the City had very low outstanding debt for a city of its size and maturity, which was
part of the reason for the City's AAA credit rating. The debt that was left had a relatively short horizon
and would be paid off within five years. Fleisch noted that after refinancing, the bulk of the loans had
an interest rate 2%to 3%. Salvatore said some of the loans were less than 2%.
Rorie reiterated that the City did not have a lot of debt in relation to the overall budget. The
decision-making process had been very sound through the years. There would always be revolving
equipment leases. The question was what to do when the bond debt was retired and how the City
would budget for the issues that had been dealt with by the bond debt.
General Obligation bonds included 2003 refunding bonds and 2011 Library refunding bonds. The
2003 bonds would be paid off in 2018, and the 2011 bonds would be paid off in 2019. The millage
rate equivalent was 0.309 mills. After the FY 2017 payments, the principal balance for both would be
$1,025,000.
Rorie gave an update on the 2014 Facilities Authority bond, which had been approved in November
2014. The original budget had been $3,060,591, and the amended budget was $3,059,641. The
budget balance was currently $1,947,913. Rorie said more projects might be added based on the
savings.
Completed projects included fire protection systems in buildings Citywide, adding electricity to Drake
Field, tower improvements at the BMX track, BMX irrigation, PAC irrigation, Glenloch Recreation
HVAC, Braelinn basketball courts, PAC building roof, Clover Reach pool demolition, Kedron Aquatic
Center HVAC, Tennis Center awnings replacement, Tennis Center HVAC, Tennis Center lighting, and
Public Works administration building HVAC.
Rorie pointed out that bids were due on December 20 for roof replacements for Police Department,
Fire Stations 83 and 84, and the Tennis Center Clubhouse. Station 81 building repairs bids were also
due December 20. Other projects in progress included the audio-visual system for Council Chambers,
Kedron Aquatic Center restoration, Kedron Rink improvements, Police Department HVAC, Fire Station
84 exterior seal coat, Public Works generator, Public Works administrative building generator, and
playground equipment replacement. Project managers were encouraged to save 10%.
Projects scheduled for completion in FY 2017 included City Hall windows replacement, Skate Park
renovations, Library window replacement, Fire Station parking lot resurfacing, Fire Station 83 exterior
seal coat, Public Works building improvements, and Public Works ancillary building roof.
Issues on the horizon included street resurfacing, cart path maintenance, building/facility
maintenance,spillway construction, and SR 54 traffic improvements.
Public Works Supervisor Scott Hicks said City roads were evaluated every two years using the PACERS
Rating System,which looked at cracks, bumps, and other items. Out of 179 miles of roadway, 36% (64
miles) were rated below 80. The cost for full depth reclamation on those 64 miles would be$30 million
or$470,000 per mile. Funding in the FY 2017 budget was $1.8 million. In 2015, 4.03 miles of road were
completed for $1.8 million. In FY 2016, 2.89 miles were completed for $1.36 million, and another
$150,000 was spent on speed tables and additional striping. In FY 2018, Hicks said they hoped to
double the effort by increasing funding to $3.7 million annually for eight miles of road. He noted that
if the City stayed at $1.8 million in funding, the City would be going backwards with paving. It would
be 40 years before they could even start working on those roads that were currently rated 80 and
above. They needed to get to maintenance mode. In the meantime, the remaining 115 miles of
roads continued to deteriorate.
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December 6,2016
Page 9
Hicks continued that 13% (12 miles) of the City's path system were rated below 80. In FY 2016, nine
miles of resurfacing had been completed, a couple of paths had been extended (including a path
to the Drake Field parking area), and maintenance and upgrades had been performed on six
tunnels. The system had 100 miles of paths, 29 tunnels, 35 bridges, and 177 at-grade crossings. The
labor and materials cost to resurface one mile was $175,000 (outsourcing paving quotes ranged from
$375,000 to $400,000 per mile). Annual labor and resources cost approximately $1.7 million for
resurfacing, which was equivalent to 0.895 mill.
Rorie noted that the master plan for the path system had been updated in 2010, and the master plan
had been used to identify potential Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) projects. The
master plan identified 24.75 miles of new paths, 59 new path projects, five new multi-use
bridges/tunnels, and 10 new tunnels to replace existing corrugated metal tunnels. The estimated cost
in 2010 for those items was $15,524,782. They were currently working on realignments and bridge
assessments. The crew did what they could little by little and continued to make progress. Potential
SPLOST projects included enhancing resurfacing efforts, adding path extensions, and adding bridges
and tunnels.
There were spreadsheets and a software management program, Manager Plus, that helped staff
predict when roofs, HVAC units, and other items needed replacement, which then allowed staff to
plan and determine a budget number for facility maintenance. The City owned 40 buildings (City
Hall, concessions, restrooms, etc.) and 24 structures (Plaza fountain, fuel island, Amphitheater stage,
gazebos, etc.) that were insured for$43.3 million.
Rorie added that when the Facilities Bond debts retired, the roofs and HVAC systems would be 10
years old. Money should be put in a sinking capital fund for replacements. In FY 2017, $383,000 (0.1%)
was spent for building repair and maintenance, such as HVAC maintenance, pest control, back flow
maintenance, fire alarm/extinguishers, dumpsters, etc.). There were limited funds for other
maintenance needs such as painting, fountain restoration, bathroom fixtures, flooring, and other
items. In FY 2018, $430,000 in additional funding was earmarked for other building facility
maintenance needs. Funds had been needed to replace 20-year old faucets in bathrooms in City
Hall. In FY 2016, there had been $25,000 in budget for maintenance to fix roofs, faucets, and
everything else. The Facilities Manager could not spend the money without approval because this
was a new program. Another$25,000 had been added to the FY 2017 budget. Rorie continued that
$6,000 was spent every year on maintenance and cleaning on the fountain. He had to find $27,000
to resurface the fountain, which was needed now. Going forward, the plan was to put 1% of the
total assessed value of the properties into a sinking fund to help with the maintenance issues. He
wanted to start with $200,000 in the budget and work up to $480,000 annually for maintenance as
opposed to incurring bond debt.
Construction on the spillway replacement was scheduled to begin in September 2017, with the cost
between $3.1 million to $3.5 million. Fayette County would contribute $2 million. Without the path
bridge, $1.1 million to $1.5 million in funding would be needed from the City. Potential SPLOST funds
had been identified to help with the projects.
Plans for traffic improvements at SR 54/Planterra Way and SR 54/MacDuff Parkway were ready to
execute once a funding source was identified. Rorie said the Georgia Department of Transportation
(GDOT) would be repaving SR 54 in the spring of 2017, and the City had to be ready to work with
GDOT at that time. He noted that the cost in the SPLOST manual was estimated at $650,000 for each
intersection for night time work. The estimated cost for daytime construction was $500,000 for each
intersection. The short-term impact would be huge, but the long-term gain would be worth it.
Rorie continued that paving and resurfacing efforts had to be doubled so eight miles per year would
get done. Staff had tried to show Council that the FY 2016 budget had been executed well. The
forecast for FY 2017 was looking good, and $236,000 could be added to the cash reserves, but that
City Council Workshop
December 6,2016
Page 10
amount was a "drop in the bucket" compared to funds that were needed. They would have to look
at some issues moving forward. The infrastructure was beginning to fail, and identifying funding
sources was an integral part the City's quality of life.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting ad'our\d at 8:36 p.m.
Pamela Dufresne, De ty City Clerk Vanessa Fleisch, Mayor