By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
A robust national economy drove construction prices so high that Chiefland City Commissioners Monday were forced to reject a set of bids for their sewage treatment plant.
The bids were far too high for the money the board had set aside to replace a tank on their bio digester at the treatment plant in south Chiefland. A bio digester is like a metal stomach that uses micro-organisms to consume human waste in an oxygen-free environment.
The lowest bid city commissioners received was $707,000 from Mack Concrete Industries. The city had set aside $567,000 for the project, with most of the money coming from a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) grant. Other bids received included $972,000 from US Water, $909,000 from Sawgrass, $753,000 from SGS.
DEP has given the city a deadline of 2020 to install and begin operating the tank. Commissioners authorized City Manager Mary Ellzey to re-advertise for bids. Ellzey said if the new set of bids comes in just as high, the city has enough money in the sewer fund to make up the difference.
Andrew Carswell of Mills Engineering said steel prices are up 15 percent nationally and he has heard concrete prices are higher. Last year’s Hurricane Irma led to a construction boom. The national economy is also booming.
“It’s a contractor’s market right now,” Carswell said.
Ellzey said 20 years ago when the city constructed a new sewage treatment plant the entire cost of the project was $1.2 million.
“Here we’re doing just one tank,” she said.
Sewer Superintendent Randy Wilkerson said the bio digester tank isn’t fancy. There are no bells and whistles. It’s just a tank.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
• Commissioners voted to approve the first reading of their amended Comprehensive Land Use Plan. After the second reading in two weeks, the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) detailing changes to the plan will be sent to Tallahassee for review by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. One of the big changes in the plan was the addition of Southern Leisure RV Resort behind Wal-Mart. The property required a zoning change and amendments to the Future Land Use Map. Southern Leisure RV Resort is one of two RV resorts being developed in Chiefland. The other is Strawberry Fields, which is being constructed not far from First Baptist Church on property that had the correct zoning and needed no Comprehensive Plan amendment.
• Commissioners agreed conceptually to allow a tenant in the industrial park, Nature Coast Services, build a pole barn addition near the building the company leases at the park. The proposed plan is for company owner George Schultz to build the 1,440 square foot pole barn shed and lease it from the city for a minimum of 10 years. The city is planning to waive the requirement for sealed bids in order to take advantage of Schultz’s offer to construct the building. Schultz builds pole barn kits for a living. He estimates the cost of the 1,440 square foot building at about $14,000.
• Commissioners have agreed to budget meetings after regular city commission meetings on June 25, July 9, July 23, Aug. 13 and Aug. 27. The two most important budget hearings are on Tuesday, Sept. 11 to adopt the tentative millage and Monday, Sept. 24 for final adoption of the city budget.
• Commissioners were informed by Ellzey that a training session to acquaint municipal elected officials with how to manage emergency events is set for 8 a.m. to 12 noon on June 12 at the Emergency Operations Center in Bronson. Elected officials and top-level administrators are asked to attend.
• Commissioners voted to authorize Fire Chief James Harris to file another application for a Firehouse Subs grant to purchase extrication equipment. The chief also wanted the motion to extend his authorization to next year and beyond if he wasn’t awarded the grant this year, but City Attorney Norm Fugate said he would have to come back for formal city approval the next time he applies anyway.
• The city’s annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival is scheduled for this Saturday. Parade lineup starts at 10:30 a.m. at Chiefland High School. The parade begins at 11 a.m.
• Ellzey unveiled an exquisite painting of the original Chiefland City Hall. The artist is Margaret Hiers. Commissioners haven’t decided where they will hang the painting at City Hall. The original City Hall is now in storage for the Luther Callaway Library. It stands on the back side of the fire station. After the octagon-shaped building was retired, the city moved City Hall to the building that now houses the Tri-County Community Resource Center. Later the original City Hall became the city library. Hiers will be invited to have her photo taken with the full city commission at the next board meeting in June. Commissioners complimented the painting as having an exceptional quality.
Photo by Terry Witt: Chiefland City Manager Mary Ellzey unveils a painting of the original Chiefland City Hall by artist Margaret Hiers. Commissioner Chris Jones, Mayor Betty Walker, and Deputy Clerk Laura Cain are shown.
City of Chiefland Regular Commission Meeting May 29, 2018
Posted May 29, 2018
