Main St. projects inch forward: EG&G’s fees are questioned

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

GRAY

Baby steps for two of the goals Main Street McMinnville Director Dan Gray said he would like to see started before he returns to England were taken Monday after officials debated the issues in city meetings.

Streets and Sanitation Committee members approved a motion to request proposals from engineering companies for phase one of the Main Street “economic development project,” while Building and Grounds Committee members later approved getting an appraisal for the Park Theater building and defining its public purpose as advised by the city attorney.

Phase one of the Main Street project addresses improvements for East Main Street from Chancery Street to past Sparta Street and includes Court Square, Depot Street and the city mall walkway.

The action came after several minutes of discussion on engineering costs as proposed by Main Street landscape architects EG&G, Inc., which designed the Main Street concepts announced last year.

City Administrator Herb Llewellyn told committee members he believes EG&G’s proposed fees associated with designing and supervising the project are too high.

He said they reflect 15 to 20 percent of the total construction costs for phase one, which are estimated at about $4 million. He also said under that proposal, it could take up to 18 months to complete phase one and suggested another engineer could do the job for less and spend less time.

Streets and Sanitation Committee Chair Patti Nunley suggested fees could be negotiated with EG&G and indicated a preference for not changing engineers, fearing potential problems if another engineer was hired due to the amount of work that has already gone into the project.

Committee members ultimately decided to request bids from engineers, but formal approval, as well as funding, have yet to be determined. Gray said Tuesday he was pleased with the action, however preliminary.

“It’s absolutely positive that it’s on the table and that it’s moving forward and is on their minds right now,” he said.

As far as EG&G, Gray said the city has an obligation to use the public’s money wisely but noted satisfaction with EG&G.

“We’ve been very happy with the work EG&G has done. They’ve gotten us to the point where this project is a reality, and very close to our grasp, but the work they’ve done has been outstanding for us so far.”

Among the proposals for phase one are: decorative street lighting, sidewalks and crosswalks, traffic signalization, street trees and landscaping, street furnishings, city mall walkway enhancements, Court Square Park enhancements, improvements to “The Hole,” storm drainage improvements, disposition of basements and voids under sidewalks, street milling and resurfacing, markings and traffic signage.

In related business, committee members also approved applying for a grant that could help pay for a part of those improvements – new traffic signals – Monday, but said a decision on whether it would be awarded could take up to a year.

With regard to the Park Theater, Gray reiterated it’s the city’s duty to spend the public’s money wisely and said he believes getting an appraisal would be “prudent.”

Last month, city officials voted to recommend swapping city property valued at about $160,000 for the Park Theater plus $40,000 in a preliminary deal with theater owner Jerry Williamson. That issue also has yet to be determined by members of the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Gray formally announced last week he will resign his position with Main Street McMinnville in late May and will return to his native England to pursue other opportunities.