Gravette firing sewer engineers

— The City of Gravette gave notice at its Thursday night meeting it will terminate its agreement with McGoodwin, Williams andYates, the Fayetteville engineering firm which has been involved in planning a sewer improvement project for the city.

A resolution with four major points outlining the termination notice was passed with a 5-1 vote after about 30 minutes of discussion.

Alderman (and formermayor) Bill Howard opposed the measure. Voting to terminate the agreement were council members John Rambadt, Melissa Smith, Jimmy Denver, Larry Stidham and Tina Crose.

The action climaxed the hour-long meeting which also included approval of the final plat for a Walmart Express which is to be built in Gravette.

The termination resolution states these four points:

◊That the city of Gravette contracted on Sept. 4, 2007, with McGoodwin, Williams and Yates, Inc., as Engineers for MWY Project No. GR-134;

◊That pursuant to Section 6.3 of the agreement, the mayor and city recorder are authorized to provide said engineers written notice of intent to terminate the agreement;

◊The engineers shall be served saidnotice via certified mail and shall be allowed an opportunity for consultation prior to the termination of the agreement taking place; and

◊This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from the date of passage.

The vote followed spirited discussion, mainly between Howard and Mayor Byron Warren and council members Rambadt and Denver.

The action was stimulated by results of a peer evaluation of plans submitted by the engineering firm during recent months which, if approved, would raise residential customer sewer rates, some as much as $50 per month. An effort has been underway to find a less expensive answer to address the problem to eliminate phosphorus and nitrates in the sewage discharge to meet state and federal limits.

The engineering firm had proposed several alternate solutions, including building a new plant or transporting Gravette’s sewage to Decatur, the cost estimates of which ranged from $6,600,000 to $8,000,000.

Following an estimate of $4,500,000 provided in the peer review of the project by another area engineering firm, MWY submitted a lowered estimate of $5,281,000 to transport Gravette’s sewage. However, as outlinedin the March 16 issue of the Eagle Observer, that estimate eliminated several items that would require additional expense to the city.

Cost to City

Mayor Warren reminded the council that MWY has advised the city owes $358,000 for services already rendered. He also reminded the council that the city of Decatur will charge $2.80 per thousand gallons to treat Gravette sewage and Gravette will be required to pay the costs of repairing a holding pond at the Decatur facility. Also, the estimated annual cost of treatment of Gravette effluent will be in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Howard objected that he did not know of the impending resolution and that taking the action would be wrong. He also protested that much of the information had not been adequately discussed. Referring to several trips to Little Rock to meet with state officials about the project, Howard indicated he was not familiar with many of those actions and results.

Denver reminded Howard the project and the results of the Little Rock trips and negotiations with the engineering firm had been discussed numerous times in committee and at council meetings and that Howard had voted for the peer review action.

Rambadt spoke passionately following the vote. He said, “We (the council) have the utmost desire to make the right decision for thecity.” He noted that when he was on the council seven years ago, when a proposal was being discussed with Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority to join that project of transporting sewage to a central plant, it was determined the cost was prohibitive. “The council is very dedicated to do the right thing,” he said.

Other Action

Other action taken earlier in the meeting included:

◊Passed an ordinance to adopt the Walmart plat;

◊Appointed Gabra Stewart to the Gravette Library Commission;

◊Tabled discussion of an independent audit of city accounts to the Council Committee;

◊Approved a security plan for city hall proposed by JESystems, Inc., for $1,803.42 with a $20 per month monitoring fee;

◊Waived payment of $50 to council members who attended a special meeting on March 10 since all members were present at a committee meeting which followed; and

◊Tabled a year renewal contract for the Boys and Girls Club in the Civic Center.

At the close of the meeting, Allyson Ransom reminded the group that the recycling trailer is operating near City Hall and that the Farmers’ Market will open Saturday, April 9, in Old Town Park. It will operate each Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. The Gravette Citywide Cleanup will be held Tuesday, April 5. Persons should have large items curbside early that morning.

News, Pages 1 on 03/30/2011