Public Services Committee

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE Monday, March 4, 2019 Municipal Complex, Committee Meeting Room, 3rd Floor 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Minutes Members Present: Jim Owens, Chair; Joe Bustos, Kathy Landing, Kevin Cunnane Staff: Eric DeMoura, Jody Peele Mr. Owens called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m. 1. Approval of Minutes from the January 3, 2019 meeting Mr. Owens called for a motion to approve the minutes from the January 3, 2019 meeting. Mrs. Landing so moved; seconded by Mr. Bustos; motion carried unanimously. 2. Public Comments Mr. Will Haynie, 316 Mallard Court, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, stated that he would like to address the issue regarding the changes to the environmentally acceptable packaging ordinance. He added that a representative from Publix Supermarkets is here today. Mr. Haynie added that he has had conversations and meetings with Chairman Owens and staff concerning the ordinance. He added that he wanted to thank Publix for working with the Town on becoming compliant with an ordinance that will go into effect next month. He added that he  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 2 of 46 would like for the committee to look at the email that was provided by the South Carolina Retail Association concerning changes. Mr. Haynie stated that we will keep our eye on the main goal of eliminating 12 million plastic bags as well as straws and other items from Mount Pleasant. Ms. Kim Siomkos, 5410 Goldenglow Way, Raleigh, North Carolina, stated that she is with Publix Supermarkets. She stated that there are three stores in the area with another, a Greenwise store, on the way. She added that she wanted to thank the committee as well as Mayor Haynie for coming to the store to talk about the ordinance. She added that the proposed changes in the ordinance would not only help Publix develop a clearer path to compliance, but also maintain current food, health, and safety concerns. Ms. Siomkos thanked everyone for taking the time to work with them. She added that they look forward to continuing to serve the people of Mount Pleasant. Mr. Owens stated that he appreciated Ms. Siomkos’ willingness to come to the Town of Mount Pleasant to speak with committee members and the Mayor. He added that what was brought forth by Ms. Siomkos is a pragmatic approach, and that he does not see anything out of the ordinary and looks forward to moving this issue forward. Mr. Cunnane stated that he appreciated the help and letters from Ms. Siomkos and believes the things Publix is asking for are reasonable. He asked Ms. Siomkos if she is a lobbyist. Ms. Siomkos stated that she is not registered in the State of South Carolina but is registered in the State of North Carolina. Mr. Cunnane asked again if she is a lobbyist.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 3 of 46 Ms. Siomkos answered in the affirmative. She added that she works for Publix’s Government Affairs Department. Mr. Owens thanked Ms. Siomkos. 3. Review of Public Services Department Facilities Master Plan Jody Peele, Director of Public Services, stated that it is a good day when we can talk about the master planning of the Public Works Operations Center. Mr. Peele stated that he would like to introduce the team that worked closely with Town staff on the master plan. He added that the members from Davis & Floyd were Jared Bramblett, Charles Hamilton, and Chris Haynes. He added that Shawn Mellin from Glick Boehm and Associates was also on this team. Mr. Peele stated that he would like to talk about the master planning for the Public Services Operation Center. He added that this project will enable the Public Services Department to expand and improve critical services to catch up with the unprecedented growth that Mount Pleasant has seen over recent years. Mr. Peele stated that this plan includes building at our current Six Mile facility located at 1355 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway and our Lieben Road facility located at 3745 North Highway 17 in the northern part of Mount Pleasant. Mr. Peele stated that facilities will include a larger fleet maintenance building, office space for Town employees, covered parking to protect capital assets, and a Waste Management transfer yard that complies with current and future environmental standards.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 4 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that he would like to share some history with the committee which would include where we started and where we are today. He added Jared would explain where we need to go. Mr. Peele stated that the slide below is an overview aerial from 1994. He explained that these aerials will have dates but are not specific to when our expansions occurred. He added that prior to moving to this location in the late 1980’s, the Public Services Operations facility was located on Greenwich Street in the Old Village. Mr. Peele stated that the building in the below slide was the first building at our Six Mile facility which still exists today. Mr. Peele stated that there are two challenges that we face with the development of this site. He stated that at one time, this site was a landfill and that there is a high-water table that affects this site.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 5 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that the aerial image in the below slide was taken ten years later. He stated that we had added a few buildings as well as our First Vehicle Fleet Maintenance building. Mr. Peele stated that the image below from 2009 shows the expansion of the facility with additional property being obtained.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 6 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that in 2012 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway divided our property into two sections. He added that the land behind the fire station was sold and that Basket Weave was put into the new commercial site as shown in the photo. He added that our transfer yard operations moved to the other side of Sweetgrass Basket Parkway.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 7 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that in 2017 additional property was purchased on the south side of Sweetgrass Basket Parkway as shown in the below slide.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 8 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that the below slide is an overview of our existing layout that is still being used today. Mr. Peele stated that the pictures in the below slide show our facility as it stands today. He added that in the new plan we will be enlarging our fuel capacity which we will be looking to put below ground. He added that our Fleet Maintenance building currently has only four stalls: two for heavy equipment operations and two for small vehicle operations. He added that we also have a wash station that will need to be improved to meet environmental standards so that the liquid can be captured and treated. Mr. Peele stated that there is also a trailer onsite that has seven offices for ten employees.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 9 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that the slide below shows the existing metal building from the 1980’s. He added that there are several employees operating out of these small office spaces. He explained that this was previously the Fleet Maintenance Shop which was part of the existing building and is presently the conference room for 146 employees. He added that we currently must go outside to have a meeting with our 146 employees.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 10 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that our heavy equipment fleet is not under covered shelter. He added that this is very expensive equipment and that we could extend life expectancy of the equipment by putting it under some type of covered shelter. Mr. Peele stated that the below slide displays images of our vactor pad and sweeper pad. This debris is dumped on soil rather than a tipping floor. He added that the leachate needs to be collected for environmental purposes. He further added that the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will require us to stop our current procedure and to add a tipping floor as well as a covered shelter for the debris. He stated that the below images show our existing transfer operations. He explained that the new plan will include adding a tipping floor under a covered shelter which will be a requirement from DHEC in the near future.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 11 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that storage for the Cooper River Bridge Run, Blessing of the Fleet, Children’s Day, Christmas decorations and our hurricane supplies is kept in storage containers as shown in the above slide. He noted that the slide also shows our recycle center for oil and oyster shells. Mr. Peele added that to understand the industry standard for a Public Services Operations center they toured two new facilities: The City of Greenville, South Carolina and the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. He noted that the City of Greenville totaled 33.1 acres of property. Mr. Peele stated the slide below shows the City of Greenville’s facility. He added that the picture to the left is their Administrative building which holds their conference rooms and offices. He added that their Fleet Maintenance building is in the back of the complex as shown in the aerial image below.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 12 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that one of the interesting things the City of Greenville does is operate an onsite National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) store which is only there to supply parts for the equipment that the Town’s fleet uses daily. He added that their staff said that having NAPA onsite made their lives much easier. He added that the City of North Charleston does not have a NAPA store at their facility. Also shown is their fuel island, wash station and the inside of their very impressive Fleet Maintenance facility. Mr. Peele stated that the City of North Charleston’s facility is 41.31 acres as shown in the below slide. He added that in the image below the Administration building is in the front and the buildings to the side are for the different Divisions. He added that they also have a very impressive facility which includes a Fleet Maintenance building, fuel system and covered shelter for their equipment and stockpile of material.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 13 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that neither the City of Greenville nor the City of North Charleston operate a transfer site on their property which is one of the challenges that we are facing. Mr. Peele stated that an Operations Center is needed because of a projected population increase of nearly 30,000 residents and 6,000 new single-family residents over the next 20 years. He added that updating the Public Services facilities and expanding to the northern part of town is not just a necessity but is critical in order to maintain our current level of service to our citizens. Mr. Peele stated that the new Operations Center would replace the current 30 plus year old facility, increasing efficiency and the ability to respond to our growing community. He added that as additional residential developments occur in the northern part of Town, our facility on Lieben Road will fulfill a critical need to better service existing and future residences. He added that Town resources placed in multiple locations will decrease drive times for crews while increasing productivity.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 14 of 46 Mr. Peele added that the ability to strategically place our resources in different parts of the town will further bolster the Town’s ability to be more immediate in our response during emergency and weather events. He added that Public Services plays a critical role in the Town’s preparation for emergencies and storms as well as the sometimes-extensive recovery periods that address issues with stormwater, flooding and debris removal, to ensure public safety on our streets and in our community. He added that upcoming environmental regulations will require new standards and processes to be in place which our current facilities are unable to meet. He emphasized that we must bring our Operations Center into compliance and that doing so is not only legally required, but beneficial to our environmental health and to the Public Service Departments capabilities. Mr. Peele turned the presentation over to Mr. Jared Bramblett. Mr. Owens thanked Mr. Peele. Mr. Bustos asked what a tipping floor is. Mr. Peele stated that a tipping floor is a concrete pad that is several inches thick that debris can be dumped onto and then loaded. He added that we are currently dumping onto soil. Mr. Bustos thanked Mr. Peele. Mr. Bramblett stated that they have been working with Town staff for several months now as well as engineers, land planners, landscape architects, and architects from Davis & Floyd and Glick Boehm and Associates. He added that they have been through several iterations of concepts by looking at the core needs of the Public Services Department for now and for up to 50 years in the future to ensure that it can serve the Town through full build out of the Town.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 15 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that what is being presented today is what the team feels is the best concept going forward. He added that the slide below shows what the Six Mile facility would look like on the north side of Sweetgrass Basket Parkway. He added that this would be the location for the core operations of the Public Services Department. Mr. Bramblett stated that they would use the existing entrance off Sweetgrass Basket Parkway which has parking adjacent to the Administration building. He added that everything beyond this parking area is gated which would include advanced security technology for access to this site. Mr. Bramblett stated that they spent several mornings and evenings onsite watching how things operate and how trucks come in and out of the current facility. He added that one of the things they observed was that there needs to be a separation of how vehicles move and how pedestrians flow through the site which was a guide for how this plan was developed. He added that Building 1 is approximately 30,000 square feet for the Administrative building and behind that is a parking field for 225 employees which is the number of employees the Town could need 50 years into the future. Mr. Bramblett stated that most of the parking and administration are on the right side of the site and the operations are on the left side of the site. He added that there is a spine down the center of the site with storage buildings and a pedestrian corridor, the design keeps safety as a priority. He added that Buildings 4 and 5 are covered parking for the Waste Management curbside pickup vehicles. He explained that with these spaces there is no reverse movement so that the trucks can pull in, park, and can pull straight through the next morning.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 16 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that Buildings 3, 6, and 7 are also covered parking and storage areas that are open. He added that the sizes of these buildings were determined with the Public Services Department based on equipment they have today and projecting equipment they will need 50 years into the future. He continued by stating that Building 2 is covered storage for the five divisions of the department as shown in the above slide. Mr. Bramblett stated that they worked with the Transportation Department to plan a second right-in and right-out entrance for this site which will have access to a new fuel island and wash station for Town vehicles. He added that the fuel island and wash station will support anyone in the Town’s fleet in addition to the Public Services Department vehicles. He noted that a key component for this feature is that it is outside of the gates. Mr. Bramblett addressed the constraints regarding agreements for stormwater management for this facility and stated that with the increase in impervious coverage when developed, that stormwater management has been looked at. He added that there is an expanded pond and several new  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 17 of 46 ponds being proposed. He added that due to the limitations from the configuration in the lands needed, there will most likely be a need for some type of underground storage to handle the additional quantity. Mr. Bramblett stated that the slides below are aerial views of the proposed site. He added that these images show the employee parking field, Administration building, covered storage and storage buildings.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 18 of 46 Mr. Bramblett noted that the Administration building is a two-story building.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 19 of 46 Mr. Owens stated that we currently have 146 employees at the Six Mile facility. He asked what the plan of action for construction would be. He also asked if there is a construction manager for the project. Mr. Bramblett answered in the negative. Mr. Owens stated that the reason he asked is because we will be displacing people. He believes it needs to be incorporated into the plan where we have facilities that are currently being utilized, as we start to transition into this new model, we need a smooth and fluid transfer of not only our facilities but also our manpower. Mr. Bramblett stated that will be covered shortly in the presentation. Mr. Bramblett turned the presentation over to Mr. Shawn Mellin. Mr. Mellin stated that he is a principal and architect with Glick Boehm and Associates. He added that their involvement with this project and with Davis & Floyd regarding the master planning process was to design the buildings to a level that we all understood the building footprint, size and scale as it fits on the site. Mr. Mellin stated that the slide below is an image of the Administration building. He added that the process was to go through an intense programming session with the staff to determine the space needs for the building. He added that there are common spaces and administration spaces and through that process they determined room sizes and room needs and then were able to develop the building footprint.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 20 of 46 Mr. Mellin stated that it was critical to the staff that we were very efficient in the floorplan because of the limited acreage so they tried to provide a very efficient building design in terms of the floorplan. Mr. Mellin stated that the first floor was designed for public space, staff space, and space needs for the field employees. He added that there is a main entrance for the public and all the other areas are secured so people cannot get back into the more common areas or the second floor. He added that the first floor is more for the public with conference rooms and potential satellite office space. Mr. Mellin stated that the employee area will consist of a training room, fitness room, employee lounge, lockers and showers, and a covered outdoor meeting space as shown in the above slide. He added that the training room is sized to an extent to assist with the continuity of operations and could potentially be used as a backup Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 21 of 46 Mr. Mellin stated that the above slide is a view of the second floor and is purely for administrative space consisting of the five divisions. He added that this is where the Maintenance and Repair, Stormwater, Engineering, Waste Management, and Administration divisions would be located and stated that it is a very efficient layout. Mr. Bramblett stated that we will now be looking at the south side of Sweetgrass Basket Parkway as shown in the below slide.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 22 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that this area has the current transfer yard operation. He added that they will be utilizing the existing entrance to the site. He added that there will be an improved and relocated oyster and oil recycling facility that is public facing and areas for the public to park as well as a controlled fence beyond that area that will hold sand and rip-rap. Mr. Bramblett also noted a potential future gated connection that would align with the new driveway for the fire station across the street and would provide another access for the Town to get to the dry storage area. Mr. Bramblett stated that inside the gate where the existing transfer yard is would be an improved facility. He added that we would be utilizing the scale in the same location it is in today, but there will be a covered tipping floor for all the demolition and yard debris as shown in the above slide. Mr. Bramblett stated that there is future expansion for those areas and as Mr. Peele stated earlier regarding state regulations and as operations increase, it will most likely have to be covered which is part of this plan.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 23 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that there is a vactor pad that will meet environmental regulations and a rollcart storage area and bin storage for the transfer yard facility. He added that the Fleet Maintenance building will be a key component for the entire Town. He added that they felt this is the best location to serve the Town in the most efficient way. Mr. Bramblett stated that after speaking to the Transportation Department there is a new full access entrance into this portion of the site and a new Fleet Maintenance facility. He added that there is a two-story Administration and Operations office space in the middle of the Fleet Management facility which could house a NAPA store if that was the direction the Town would like to go. He added that it currently will serve as offices and breakrooms for First Vehicle. Mr. Bramblett stated that there are eight small vehicle and eight large vehicle bays in the Fleet Maintenance building as shown in the above slide. Mr. Bramblett added that there are additional storage areas and additional parking that will address one of the key constraints the Town has today, which is all the parked vehicles around the facility and how that impacts the operation of the site. Mr. Bramblett stated that this area is external to the site so when Town employees come to the site, they will not be comingling with the core operations of the Public Services Department. He added that there is an additional heavy equipment wash station that will help maintain the Town’s equipment. Mr. Bramblett stated that one of the constraints with this site are the wetlands. He added that they do not anticipate or plan to impact any of the wetlands. He also added that there are residential uses that abut the bottom of this site and they plan on keeping as much of a buffer between residents and this facility as possible. He added that they have gone well beyond the Town’s minimum required buffers for these lower areas.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 24 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that the below slides are aerial images of the transfer yard and Fleet Maintenance building.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 25 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that the below slide is an image of our Lieben Road facility in the northern part of town. He added that this is the facility as it exists today. Mr. Bramblett stated that the below slide is the plan for the Lieben Road facility. He noted that Building 11 would be a satellite Administration building that could be a touch down point for field inspectors or employees that are in the northern part of town for meetings or a place they could stop in for lunch. He added that there is potential for another satellite office here so residents could come pay different fees. Mr. Bramblett stated that there is also potential for a wash and fuel area so employees would not have to drive to the Six Mile facility to refuel their vehicles if they are in the northern part of town. He commented that one thought regarding this subject is to relocate the existing fuel station at the Six Mile facility to this site. He further added that there is a new right-in and right-out on Highway 17.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 26 of 46 Mr. Bramblett added that the pond has been located strategically along Lieben Road to provide a buffer from the residential uses across the street. He added that there is storage capacity at this facility that will hold all event storage such as Cooper River Bridge Run, Christmas decorations and all the other event materials that are currently stored in the Six Mile containers. Mr. Bramblett also noted that there is enclosed storage for the Police Departments Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle and the Mobile Command Center. Mr. Bramblett stated that there is additional storage and parking for equipment used in the northern part of town and a salt dome to support ice operations at this site. Mr. Bramblett stated that the below slides are aerials of what the Lieben Road facility would look like.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 27 of 46 Mr. Bramblett stated that the below slide will discuss the phasing of this project. He added when a construction manager is involved, it is a process that will go back and forth with the Town, but one of the overarching  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 28 of 46 themes and goals behind developing this master plan is ensuring that the Town’s Public Services Department can stay operational as it is implemented. Mr. Bramblett added that the two key critical facilities to maintain operations are the transfer yard and the Fleet Maintenance facility. Mr. Bramblett stated that the transfer yard will temporarily relocate to where the proposed Fleet Maintenance building will be as the new yard is being built. He added that the transfer yard will then move back, and Fleet Maintenance can move, which will create a domino effect where everything else can fall in line. Mr. Bramblett concluded his presentation and asked if there were any questions. Mr. Peele stated that the meaning of this proposed plan to the community is as follows: the construction of the Public Services Operation Center is critical in maintaining the same level of service and quality of life to every resident in Mount Pleasant now and in the future.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 29 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that this project is a critical component for our success in the future. Mr. Owens thanked Mr. Peele. Mr. Owens asked if our site is roughly 22 acres. Mr. Bramblett answered in the affirmative. Mr. Owens asked if the sites in North Charleston and Greenville are 33 plus acres. Mr. Bramblett answered in the affirmative. Mr. Owens stated that we also have a transfer yard on our site, and they do not. Mr. Bramblett confirmed this statement. Mr. Owens stated that it seems we are operating at a greater efficiency by having something like that on a smaller site. He added that this is a great consideration. Mr. Bramblett stated that he wanted to give Jody, Andy and the Public Services Department a lot of credit. He said when they visited the City of Greenville’s operation and then spent time at the Six Mile facility, they felt it was very remarkable how the Town of Mount Pleasant Public Services Department operates today with the facilities and constraints that they have. Mr. Owens appreciated the comment and stated that he agreed wholeheartedly.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 30 of 46 Mr. Cunnane thanked everyone for the presentation. He stated that he has been through the Six Mile facility and wonders how they do such a great job across Town with that type of quality of work life. He added that it really is a testament to everyone that works at the Six Mile facility and believes this is long overdue and something we need to support. Mr. Cunnane asked with regards to both facilities at Six Mile and Lieben Road, if there would be an off-hour’s conference room that would be open to the public such as the one at Mount Pleasant Waterworks. Mr. Peele stated that this has been discussed and that is the reason the first floor is more for the public and employees. He added that we are not into the construction design drawings yet, but it has been discussed and is the reason for the meeting rooms being downstairs. Mr. Cunnane asked if that would be at both facilities. Mr. Peele stated that as of now it is just at our Six Mile facility, but they can look at adding it at Lieben Road. Mr. Cunnane thanked Mr. Peele. Mrs. Landing stated that what everyone in the Department has done has been amazing and this reminds her of how the Town ran for a very long time with an old facility and only a couple of years ago Town Hall was built which works so well for our Town employees. She added that they still hear comments about whether we spent too much money and comments about if it is being used efficiently. She added that this work looks incredible and believes it will be a terrific facility. She added that now is the time for anybody to bring up issues because once it is built, we will have to just move forward. Mr. Bustos thanked everyone for the presentation.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 31 of 46 Mr. Owens thanked everyone for their time and the effort they put into this project. He added that it looks like a good project. Mr. Owens asked Mr. DeMoura if this project was already in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Mr. DeMoura answered in the affirmative. Mr. Owens asked if there was a date for bid and construction. Mr. DeMoura stated that if Mr. Owens and the Committee are okay with the Master Plan as presented, we plan to move forward with the next step which would include design. He added that design may take six to nine months for a facility like this and then we would proceed with construction. Mr. DeMoura stated that we would be looking at a year and a half at least before such a facility would come to fruition. Mr. Owens asked what the numbers would look like for an onsite NAPA store and how much it would save us from going out and waiting on parts to come in that would allow for cost to be a wash. Mr. DeMoura stated that we are currently reviewing our current fleet maintenance operation and contract and whether it is and will continue to be the best model for us. He added that as we continue with those discussions, what Mr. Owens is mentioning will have to be looked at quite seriously. 4. Update on Old Village Drainage Improvement Project design Mr. Rick Karkowski stated that he will be giving an update on the progress to date for the Old Village Drainage Improvement Project.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 32 of 46 Mr. Karkowski stated that he will be discussing in today’s presentation the project areas, proposed improvements, schedule, project cost, design on project outfalls, and coordination with South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide is a design on the Edwards Park and Royall Avenue Basin that came out of our master plan document from 2017. Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide of the Royall Basin is a summary of improvements. He added that the red and black lines indicate improvements and the blue lines are existing drainage systems that will remain functioning. Mr. Karkowski stated that this system is essentially done. He added that there is a set of plans that are currently in the permitting phase and they are coordinating with Mount Pleasant Waterworks, DOT, the Town, South  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 33 of 46 Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDEHEC), and Office of Ocean & Coastal Management (OCM) for various permits. Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide is the Edwards Park improvement. He added that this is the area that was brought to Committee regarding not adding a larger pump station and went with a new drainage gravity outfall system. He added that the redesign is now completed for alignment and locations of inlets and they are now in the utility conflict phase. He added that this phase is addressing all the utility conflicts that they may or may not have on the project. He added that once that is complete, they will then be able to submit permits on this basin.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 34 of 46 Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide is the Queen Street diverson. He added that the hatched area is the area that will be taken off the pump station site at Edwards Park and will be taken out through a new gravity outfall. Mr. Karkowski stated that this will allow the pump station which is undersized for the area it is serving to function at the desired level of service with the smaller drainage area by taking this area off and moving it to a new outfall.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 35 of 46 Mr. Karkowski stated that the slide below is the current project schedule. He added that we are sliding a month or so behind for the Royall Avenue project due to permitting and complexities. He added that the Edwards Park Basin is still on schedule and hopes that we will be able to catch up so these two projects can come in at the same time.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 36 of 46 Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide is the original estimated project cost and a summary of the current estimated Royall Avenue and Edwards Park cost. He added that in the original master plan study from 2017 we were looking at installing 9,800 linear feet of pipe with a cost of 4.1 million dollars. Mr. Karkowski explained that due to various issues and what we want to accomplish, the piping has expanded to around 13,000 to 13,600 linear feet so the cost estimate has increased a little. He added that the cost estimate on the below slide is based upon the design we have to date. He added that once we go through the permit submittal process, there will be some impacts from different agencies such as MPW, SCDOT, DHEC and OCM asking or requiring different things to change or add to the design that may affect the cost. Mr. Karkowski stated that the Edwards Park Basin is around 60 percent complete in the design phase. He added that we do not have a cost for the utility relocation and the estimated cost is 6.85 million dollars. He explained that we are predicting using some methods to estimate the cost going  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 37 of 46 forward because we do not have the full design. He added that they were looking at 9,400 linear feet and now it has expanded to 12,000 linear feet. He added that we are now serving other areas after speaking with staff. Mr. Karkowski stated that the Royall Avenue outfall is at the end of Royall Avenue past Williams Street as shown in the below slide. Mr. Karkowski stated that the outfall is a fairly large structure but is below ground. He added that in order to take it off the intersection and give us more room we routed the drainage farther down Royall Avenue and outfalling at a different location. Mr. Karkowski stated that the picture in the below slide is where the outfall will be. He added that it will be at grade and in between the two large oak trees. He added that this outfall will also have a tide control structure so it will be able to provide a level of sunny day flooding protection and will be easier to maintain. He added there will be plenty of access to the backside of the tidal flow control structures and to the front side. He added that  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 38 of 46 there will be a protected outfall that will have material in it so if sediment builds up, it can be scraped with a small backhoe. Mr. Karkowski stated that the Royall Avenue outfall permit has been submitted as of this week. Mr. Karkowski stated that the below slide is the Queen Street outfall. He added that it will be similar to the outfall at the end of Ferry Street which is a headwall structure at grade. He added that it will not have much of an impact other than a headwall sticking up six to eight inches off the ground. He added that there will be a structure with a protected area that lets the water discharge and if there was a sediment problem the Town could come down and do some maintenance on it. He added that we are looking at adding a trash rack to keep the reeds out when the tide changes. Mr. Karkowski stated that this outfall does not need a tide control structure because the elevations behind it that we are trying to protect are high  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 39 of 46 enough that even with predicted sea-level rise we do not have the issue that the other site has. Mr. Karkowski stated that there has been conversation and coordination with SCDOT through Thomas & Hutton and the Town. He added that the understanding is that SCDOT has standards and policies for building roads and building drainage infrastructure. He added that sometimes their policies and standards are in conflict with doing retrofit projects. He explained that some nonstandard things are conflict boxes. He explained the purpose of a conflict box and added that SCDOT does not allow them. He noted that if we do not use conflict boxes, we would have to redesign the entire sanitary sewer system in that area which would run up the cost. Mr. Karkowski stated that some of the current project areas have a minimum slope of .3 percent which might not sound like a lot, but really is since there are a lot of slopes. He added that they are aware there is minimum scour, but believe we have enough scour in the system to move sediment out and keep it clean in the event of a big rainstorm.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 40 of 46 Mr. Karkowski added that another thing DOT does not allow are pipes under pavement. He added that the pipes can be crossed perpendicular but cannot go parallel under the pavement. He added that in a retrofit system, we do not have the luxury to be able to choose our locations. He added that after looking at the different constraints, we must go where we are required to go. He noted that we have a road in the project where we are locating a drainage pipe right down the middle of the project because we are hemmed in by water and sewer. Mr. Karkowski stated that Thomas and Hutton along with Town staff, have walked every inlet location which has close to 200 to 300 structures in each basin. He added that they picked each location as to exactly where they want it. He added that they moved them to try to minimize impacts. He added that there are a few that are in conflict with SCDOT standards, radiuses and how we are locating them off the edge of the road in providing some paved inlets which they do not necessarily like. He added that it has led to a maintenance responsibility in which the Town will be expected to  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 41 of 46 take over the maintenance of all this new drainage infrastructure. He added that SCDOT will retain maintenance responsibilities of the roads and the rights of way above this drainage infrastructure. He noted that the Town will not take on any maintenance responsibilities for any existing drainage systems which will remain with the SCDOT until and unless the Town upgrades an existing system. Mr. Karkowski concluded his presentation. Mr. Owens asked if there was a redesign on the pump station. Mr. Karkowski stated that there was not a redesign. He added that in our last meeting we were contemplating upgrading the pump station by doubling the capacity of the pump station. He explained that after working with staff, we felt that was not the best approach and wanted to go with a system that did not rely on electricity, so we opted for the second outfall to Queen Street. He added that they are working with staff on some upgrades and redundancy issues with the existing pump station and will do some improvements to make that system a little more reliable. Mr. Karkowski stated that we are not designing a new pump station but are working on a bypass system, communication upgrades and electrical power upgrades. He added that there will be no overall change or upsize in capacity on the existing pump station. Mr. Owens asked if they will be upgrading the pumps. Mr. Karkowski said the pumps will stay the same. He added that the entire project will take off or divert three fifths of the drainage area off that pump station. He added that is in the capacity that is existing in the pump station and lines up with what the remaining drainage area to the pump station would be after we take the water off it.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 42 of 46 Mr. Peele stated that we can presently only run one pump at a time. He added that we are looking at the cost to upgrade it so our generator could run two pumps at the same time. He further added that we are also looking at the possibility of putting in a jockey pump so we are not pumping ground water on a constant basis, and utilizing those pumps to turn on when they are just pumping a very small amount of water. He added that those are the upgrades they are looking at for the pump station at Edwards Park. Mr. Karkowski stated that the generator is only used on a backup basis. He added that with street side power we can run the two pumps but if we lose power during a hurricane, we can only run one. Mr. Owens asked if there was a generator receptacle onsite. Mr. Peele answered in the affirmative. Mr. Owens asked if we have a permanent generator. Mr. Peele answered in the affirmative. He added that the other day a squirrel hit a fuse and the generator power turned on. He noted that if power fails the generator will run only one pump. Mr. Owens thanked Mr. Karkowski for his presentation and stated that he and the residents of Old Village are looking forward to having some relief in this area. Mrs. Landing asked what the timeframe would be before we see this relief in the area and when the Old Village residents would be able to see the difference following a storm. Mr. Karkowski stated that there is a timeframe for having all the permits by fall of this year. He added that once the permits are in and if Town funds are available, we could bid the project then. He added that once the Town decides the amount of money they can generate, we would be able to bid as  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 43 of 46 soon as the later part of this year. He added that there would be a three- month process to select a contractor and we could start turning dirt after that. Mrs. Landing asked how long it would take to do this project. Mr. Karkowski stated that it would be a 9 to 12-month construction process which would go well into 2020. 5. Consideration of amendments to the Environmentally Acceptable Packaging and Products ordinance Mr. Owens stated that he put this on the agenda and provided each Committee member with a copy of a letter from the South Carolina Retail Association. He added that he spoke to Legal and the Government Relations Representative last week to contemplate possible action. Mr. Owens stated that the language in the letter would only prove again that the Town is more than willing to provide better guidance for our business community. Mr. Owens stated that if the Committee members are in agreement, we can go through the process. He added that there are four items that we proposed which were highlighted in the letter. Mr. Owens called for a motion to request Legal to prepare the amendments to the referenced ordinances and to send them to Council for final approval. Mr. Cunnane so moved, Mrs. Landing seconded. (Discussion) Mrs. Landing stated that this was comprehensive and knows they would be representing a lot of different businesses. She added that one area she  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 44 of 46 heard from was one of the Town’s big convenience store owners, the Blue Water facilities. She stated that a concern they have is that a lot of their items such as salads and sandwiches are packaged in plastic clam shells. She added that if they have to put those items in fully compostable packaging clam shells, individuals will not be able to see the items and if they wanted to open the packaging, they could get into a contamination issue. Mrs. Landing asked if there was anything that addresses this issue, or would that be a separate item. Mr. Owens stated that the only thing we have is the elimination of polystyrene and moving towards the paper or cardboard containers. He added that we can certainly look into that at a later date and you can provide some information, or we can get staff to provide more information on that issue. He added that he would like to stay on message and use what we have at this point and time. Mrs. Landing stated that we are talking about something that is being implemented next month. She added that we have a lot of stores in Town that are convenience stores, and this just happened to be one general manager that reached out to her. Mrs. Landing stated that the question is if the amended wording would cover this situation. She added that as an alternative we would walk into a store and receive a plastic clam shell not Styrofoam, but something that individuals can see through. She asked what the process would be or if we could include it into our exception list that they would have something that would work by being able to see what they are buying before they open it. Mr. Owens asked for an example. Mrs. Landing stated that when someone walks into a convenience store, they have clam shells that are clear where you can see a salad or any type of prepared food. She added that if you cannot see the item due to it being in a  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 45 of 46 paper or corrugated container, the customer would have to open it which could become a contamination issue. She asked if there was an answer for that or could we include some type of container that can be used instead. Mrs. Landing stated that perhaps they could use a container that is used for donuts or cakes, which would be a paper box but could have a window on top. Mr. Owens stated that would be included in what was asked for concerning meat tray plastics. Mrs. Landing asked if theoretically that could be the answer for the plastic clam shells. Mr. Owens answered in the affirmative. Mr. Cunnane stated that following up on that comment he believes plastic wrap is not covered in the ordinance so they could wrap something in plastic wrap that is not rigid and is not covered by the ordinance which could be another option. Mr. Cunnane stated that he did not want to single out the individual who was a lobbyist but stated that a prior Council had passed a lobbying ordinance that states they have to register with the Town if they are lobbying Town officials. He added that with regards to the letter from the Retail Association, he assumes that they are also a lobbyist. He added that this is a newer Town function, tracking lobbyists, and he would prefer to have a method where we tell the lobbyist to speak to a particular person at Town Hall because they need to register. He added that he does not believe there is anything untoward going on with these particular lobbyists but believes we should use this as an example to springboard into actually enforcing the lobbying ordinance. Mr. Owens answered that Mr. Cunnane’s comments were so noted.  Public Services Committee Minutes March 4, 2019 Page 46 of 46 Mr. Owens stated there is a motion and a second. He asked if there was any further discussion. Mr. Owens called for a vote. All in favor; motion carried unanimously. 6. Adjourn There being no further business, Chairman Owens adjourned the meeting at 9:45 a.m. Respectfully submitted by, Andrew Dolan March 7, 2019