Waycross citizens and businesses will soon begin seeing a return on their monthly stormwater utility payment as the city starts buying items to use in addressing its most critical drainage issues.
The City Commission approved a resolution Tuesday for the purchase of various piping to be used in upcoming projects for stormwater abatement. The $62,880 expenditure covered more than 1,400 feet of reinforced concrete items in three sizes to begin the process of replacing outdated, substandard and/or damaged pipe.
The resolution was one of three the commissioners approved during the short session November 1 at City Hall. Commissioners, all of whom were present along with Mayor Michael-Angelo James, also approved the second reading of two ordinances and the first of another.
They also renewed four privilege licenses, added Veterans Day to the city’s official holiday calendar, and recognized Lt. Chase DeLoach of the Waycross Police Department as Employee of the Month for November. There was an executive session after the regular meeting to discuss personnel.
The contract for the pipe was awarded to Diamond Concrete Products of Rincon, Ga. The firm’s bid was the lowest and best of two received, Purchasing Director Mamie Jackson said during the commission’s planning and information session Monday.
The contract is for 880 linear feet of 18-inch pipe, 320 of 24-inch and 280 feet of 36-inch to be used for projects in the coming months. Public Works Director James Smart said during Monday’s work session some of the pipe that will be replaced is only 10 inches in diameter and dates to a time when there were far fewer impervious (non-draining) surfaces.
Waycross created the stormwater utility last year and began collecting a $4 monthly fee from residential customers in November, 2022. Fees for others, such as business, churches, the school system or corporate customers like CSX, is based on the amount of impervious material on their property.
All fees from the utility can be used only for stormwater abatement. Before it was created, stormwater competed with the city’s water/sewer needs for funding.
The city has hired staffers in public works specifically to handle projects related to stormwater, said Robbie Cheek, a consulting engineer from ESG, which manages the city’s water utilities. Smart detailed a handful Monday that already had been completed by the crew around the city before offering the first of four to address the major problems.
Those will be at Dean-Baltimore Streets, Carswell Avenue from Perham to Crawford, Brunel Street from Corridor Z to Chandler and Gilmore Street from Corridor Z to Chandler.
“When these pipes are replaced that will resolve a lot of the flooding issues in these areas,” Smart said. “Some of the older pipes were just 10 inches.”
Other resolutions
The second resolution passed added Veterans Day to the city’s holiday list while the third declared property owned by the city between Albany Avenue and Brunswick surplus for the purpose of sale through sealed bids.
Ordinances
The ordinances approved on second reading were to amend the charter to provide for an annual audit of city finances. Currently, the charter calls for an audit at six-month intervals.
Even though the bi-annual audit was called for in the charter, the city has operated under the state requirement of an annual check of the books. The change just brings it in line with the state guideline.
The second allows for a fee and charge for preparation and filing of an unsafe building certificate from a city inspection for $50 to the owner of the real estate. The amended charter streamlines the process for property owners to remove abandoned mobile structures from their land.
The measure approved on first reading rezones the property at 121 Victory Drive from Industrial Park (IP) to Highway Commercial (C-2).
Employee of Month
DeLoach has been with the police department since December, 2013 when he began his career as a patrol officer following graduation from Georgia Southern with a Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice. He was promoted to sergeant in 2017 and in August, 2019 transferred to criminal investigations where he was promoted to his current rank in July 2020.
In addition to his CI assignment, Chief Tommy Cox said DeLoach is a certified General Instructor and Firearms Instructor, and also serves as an assistant team leader with the SWAT unit. In February, he began work as an assistant accreditation manager and will go before the national board later this month in St. Louis for that certification.
The lieutenant also has recently volunteered to help the department with its effort to secure grants for the department.
“Waycross has a better police department because Lt. DeLoach is part of it,” Cox said.
