Southwest Harbor Public Works Facility Plan Needs $37K Update
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SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Southwest Harbor Select Board entered into an executive session at the beginning of its meeting to discuss an increase in pay for Sergeant Ryan Blakeney. After the motion, it was three in favor and one opposed, Chapin McFarland was opposed.
Natasha Johnson was attending via zoom.
PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY
The town’s public works facility project has to be updated.
Town Manager Karen Redderson presented a request to approve Phase One of the public works facility.
Project advisors said that they have to update the project to comply with the Buy American Build America Act (BABAA) and have a few contractors update their specifications as well so that everything complies with the act. When the job was initially bid, the town received good prices, but that was before COVID, and it’s hard to say what the costs will come in as prior to the bid, advisors said.
The bid process tends to last 4-6 weeks. Project manager, Olver Associaties, Inc., felt that it could could finish the proposal by the end of the year and have it ready for the town meeting and a have bond match ready in fall for voters. The grant is 75% of the total needed, which would bring the town’s portion to approximately $805,000.
It will cost approximately $37,000 to update the plans.
The request also included Phase Two construction administration and inspection services if the project is approved for award in the amount of $245,000.00.
According to Redderson’s manager’s memo, “The town has been approved and is in process of obtaining Congressionally Directed Spending in the amount of $2.415 million designated for this project. (CDS) is generally defined as a spending provision in federal appropriations legislation included at the request of a Member of Congress, which designates a specific amount of discretionary funding to a state or local government entity, or 50 I (c)(3) nonprofit, to be used for a specific purpose in a specific location.”
In a March article for the Mount Desert Islander, Jess Cummings quoted former Town Manager Marilyn Lowell as saying, ““We started developing plans in 2006. We have the plans for a new steel building on the existing lot, and right now the bid is $3 million.”
In 2020, Southwest Harbors rejected an Olver Associates $1.9 million plan by nine votes. Since then, the town received a $2.41 million congressionally directed spending (CDS) grant. This came through Senator Angus King’s office and will be used for the facility.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE FUNDING AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN TASKFORCE
The board also approved community resilience partnership funding to work with the Town of Tremont and Climate to Thrive on an application to apply for additional Community Resilience Partnership funding through the state.
It also approved the creation of a sustainability committee, and related sub-committees, to address current and future issues impacting Southwest Harbor.
It also approved the creation of an Emergency Management Plan Taskforce to develop an integrated Emergency Management Plan.
STORM WATER AND STORM DAMAGE
On October 17, the planning board waived stormwater management plans for two properties on Main Street.
Owner Joey Feliciano, who hopes to have rental cabins on the site, said that the structures were unlikely to impact other structures.
Vice Chair Lee Worcester, Code Enforcement Officer John Larson, and others said they worried about setting a precedent for other projects
The Southwest Harbor Planning Board granted a waiver for two Main Street properties’ stormwater management plan on Oct. 17. The properties are located at 228 and 234 Main Street.
There will be a public hearing November 7 during the planning board’s meeting.
G.F. Johnson and Associates have indicated that it intends to file a Natural Resource Protection Act permit for the mitigation of a storm-damaged shore vial shoreline stabilization installation at 19 Alder Lane.
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