City Commissioners also voted to create a salaried position for a construction inspector.
The City Commission continued to make significant investments in infrastructure during its Monday, May 8, meeting, including the creation of a new position to oversee the city’s wave of ongoing construction.
Following recent decisions by the City Commission to invest city funds in repairs to roadways and sewer systems, including a nearly $4 million contract for utility work with Killebrew, Inc., outgoing City Manager Mike Herr asked commissioners to create the “construction inspector” position with a salary between about $43,000 and $56,000. Outsourcing the position on new construction, Herr said, could cost the city as much $149,000 during a five-month period.
“This position will more than pay for itself, I feel confident about that,” Herr said. “You’ve got a lot of projects that are going to be coming up.”
Included in the upcoming projects is the redevelopment of a portion of North Vermont Street near Jackson Elementary School.
“North Vermont Street that runs along Jackson Elementary School has major drainage issues during the rainy season and extreme deficiencies in the road structure,” Herr said. “This street was selected for redevelopment to include approximately 1,300 linear feet of roadway improvements, underground drainage improvements, installation of sanitary sewersystem and (to) upgrade the water main.”
According to Herr, Boggs Engineering estimated the redevelopment would cost about $735,000. The City awarded the contract to ALTO Construction Co., Inc. at a cost of just under $700,000.
Vice-Mayor Bill Dodson said he believes the project is a priority because the street’s issues have become “exasperated” and are “putting the safety of children who attend the school at risk.”
The problem, he said, cannot be avoided anymore.
City Commissioners also voted to dovetail off an existing contract with VacVision Environmental LLC, to rehab stormwater drainage pipes where roadway and driveway depressions have been reported at Kipling Avenue, Barret Avenue, Crystal Terrace, East Cherry Street and North Thackery Way, at a cost of over $309,000.
Herr said skipping the bidding process would allow the project to commence immediately, saving 90 days and allowing it to be done before Plant City enters the “rainy season.” City Engineer Mike Schenk said VacVision has good standing with the city and agreed that the timing was imperative.
“They have done a number of jobs here in the city,” Schenk said. “This is the prime time to get the work done so we don’t have the water conditions you usually see during the wet season.”
Commissioners approved the contract awards to ALTO and VacVision, along with the creation of the construction inspector position with votes of 5-0.
Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@plantcityobserver.com.
