ity Manager Jim Wieprecht introduced plans earlier this year for the replacement of the current dilapidated Public Works buildings, allowing all the equipment and supplies to be housed in one building. Initially, both the public and the Council's response was frustration at the seven-million-dollar price tag that came with the concept, but Wieprecht added that the project has been on the Capital Improvement Plan for a number of years.
After a detailed presentation by Public Works employees showing conditions of the six current buildings, which included leaks, cramped spaces, and the overall ineffectiveness in protecting their equipment from vandalism and weather damage, the Council was convinced that something needed to be done.
Of the six buildings, three of them were in poor enough condition that they should be demolished: the main shop, a concrete block building originally built in the 50s, the Roberts Mill Park shop, and the old police garage. The current machine shop and the other two buildings at Memorial Park can be saved for Parks and Recreation for equipment storage. Removing the three dilapidated buildings would also open additional space for parking and allow Parks and Recreation to add baseball batting tunnels to be used during inclement weather.
The proposed new building will be built on a five-acre parcel off Allendale Lane that already has water and sewer hookups. The building will sit along the southwest end of the parcel closest to the hookups to save on infrastructure cost. Councilman Christopher Tillman asked if the remainder of the parcel could be used for a solar panel field. Wieprecht replied that they would need to discuss it with CGI energy consultants, but it could work.
Solar panels are included in the plan with the hope that it will be a net zero project, resulting in no cost to the electrical system. "It will most likely generate more electricity than it will use," said Director of Public Works Kevin Smeak. Mayor Christopher Miller commented that the Governor’s Office grants look at solar panels as a positive for grant funding. Wieprecht said geothermal heating and cooling is also being considered.
The building is projected to include a designated chlorine storage unit, a wash bay for vehicle care, a mechanical room, a clerk’s office for file storage, two additional offices, an IT room for future backup for the entire city, and a 40’ by 80’ salt bin. Employees will have a resting room to sleep or relax in when on long shifts, such as during snowstorms, a breakroom, two bathrooms, and a 40-person classroom useful for training sessions.
Assistant Director of Public Works, Randy Meyers, explained that the State is pushing for brine to be used more than salt during winter storms in the future and this building would allow for storage of the brine tanks inside, protecting the material used to store the brine which can be deteriorated by direct sunlight. "We may not see the requirement for brine for 10 years, but we want to be ready," he said.
Councilwoman Diane Foster has been an active participant in the search for grants for the new building. She stated at the March meeting that Town staff are attempting to procure as much grant money as possible by automatically applying to all available grants where the building plans meet the grant requirements.
At April’s meeting, Wieprecht asked the Council to approve spending $331,700 to begin the complicated process of designing the site and construction plans. The plans will show exact details of the building's interiors and exteriors, details about stormwater management and landscaping, as well as other important factors in the building process. "To put this in perspective," said Wieprecht, "the wastewater treatment plant upgrade plans drawn in 2008 cost us $495,000."
The Council approved the request to continue drawing up the plans in a unanimous vote.
