ROBERTSDALE — The Robertsdale City Council took the next step toward upgrading its water and waste system, approving an engineering contract at its meeting Monday, Dec. 6 for the nearly $14 million project.
At that meeting the council approved an agreement with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc. for the engineering design, bidding and awards services, construction engineering and inspection and permitting for the repairs and upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment facility and sewer collection system.
“This will cover everything through the three phases of this project,” said City Engineer Greg Smith.
In October the council approved a water and waste system grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture which will be used for improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city has agreed to finance $7.8 million, along with a USDA grant of $6.1 million for a total of $13.9 million for the project.
Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy said approximately $10 million of the project will go toward improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment facility, while the remainder would be used to make improvements on collection lines.
According to the terms of the loan, the city will make annual payments of $272,229 over a 40-year period at 1.75% interest.
It will likely be the end of 2022 before the city receives any funds from the loan, Murphy said. It will likely take five years to complete the project.
Officials said the project would improve the average daily capacity of the system from 900,000 gallons per day to 1.5 million gallons per day.
The system should be able to handle three times its average daily flow, which means while the system is now capable of handling 2.7 million gallons, the upgrades will allow it to handle up to 4.5 million gallons.
Smith said the system is currently operating at or near capacity, or approximately 3 million gallons per day.
City officials told residents who live along Oak Hillcrest Road at the Dec. 6 meeting that the upgrades would likely alleviate drainage concerns they have along their property.
Residents of Oak Hillcrest Road and White Avenue presented a petition to city officials at the meeting with nearly 30 signatures, asking the city to address concerns of traffic flow, noise and drainage associated with nearby Robertsdale Elementary School and the South Baldwin Center for Technology.
“We are landlocked, and in the morning and afternoon it becomes impossible to get in or out,” said resident Pat Loeb, acting as spokesperson for the group. “There has to be something that can be done.”
Loeb also expressed concerns over noise coming from a heating and air conditioning system at the school and concerns over drainage coming from the school.
Robertsdale Police Chief Brad Kendrick said he had addressed traffic concerns with the school’s principal and a new pickup and drop-off system is going to be implemented in January.
He also addressed noise concerns with school officials, but Loeb said those concerns have not been alleviated.
Council member Ruthie Campbell said she is working to contact school officials to address the concerns.
“I have been back and forth between the city and county and eventually I will get some relief,” Loeb said.
City officials said since the property belongs to the county, it will likely be school system officials that will have to address the issues.
“I know that you have been good neighbors for a number of years and I’m sure you will continue to be good neighbors,” said Council Member Paul Hollingsworth, a retired educator. “I can assure you that the school board wants to be good neighbors too and they will do everything they can to resolve this issue.”
Murphy said the city will do what they can to work with the school system to resolve the issues.
“We are all in this together,” he said. “I know the school system will do what they can to help, and the city will do its part to help. Right now, we just need to all do the best we can to have a happy Christmas.”
The council also voted Dec. 6 to rescind and re-adopt a measure providing premium pay for all city employees to address concerns raised by the state attorney general about the wording of the resolution.
Attorney Ken Raines, who handles legal issues for the city, said the concerns were addressed with several municipalities who had passed similar measures.
“We were instructed that we needed to rescind the original measure, then if the council wishes, they can replace it using language recommended by the attorney general,” he said. “The main change is that the payments would now be proactive rather than retroactive.”
In November the council voted to provide premium pay for all of its city employees, which will be paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act 2021 through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
In July city officials announced they had received $800,000 in recovery act funds and will receive an additional $800,000 in June of 2022.
City officials have until 2024 to submit a plan of how they are going to spend the money then they have until 2026 to spend the money.
Under the terms of the resolution, the city would provide a single payment of $500 to each regular full-time employee and $250 to each regular part-time employee. The city currently has 88 full-time and 12 part-time employees.
The council voted unanimously to rescind the original measure, voting 4-1 to adopt the new resolution. Council member Russell Johnson voted against the measure.
“I’m all for providing for our employees,” Johnson said. “I just think this money could be better served making improvements for the city.”
In total the payments would cost the city approximately $70,000, Murphy said.
Also on Dec. 6, the council:
· Authorized the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Baldwin County to use Honeybee Park in April for a mental health awareness walk.
· Authorized the Robertsdale Rotary Club to use two days in March for the club’s annual rodeo event.
· Authorized a donation of a bench to be placed along the walking trail by the Ron Baecher family in memory of a granddaughter who died recently.
· Appointed Mary Lovin to fill a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
· Accepted the donation of approximately 11.2 acres from Ridgewood Park subdivision located in the Rock Creek area east of College Street. Since the property is largely wetlands, it would likely not be developed, city officials said.
· Approved the installment of four small cell facilities for AT&T.
· Announced the appointment of Eric Spaulding to fill a vacancy on the city’s Planning Commission.
· Received gifts and a Christmas blessing from resident Joe Pileggi, a retired minister.
