Utilities Maintenance and Solid Waste new building
On Monday, the Plant City City Commission approved a request to make a contract between the city and a construction company to build the new Utilities and Solid Waste facility. This allows City Manager Bill McDaniel to proceed with negotiations with the Manhattan Construction Company to proceed with the project. Director Jill Sessions of the Solid Waste Department and CIP Engeneering Manager Hye Kwag were present to provide the commission with details for the current and new facilities.
The existing offices for Utilities and Solid Waste are 32 years old and are in need of significant repair.
The city commission approved a work order for $227,800 on March 9, 2021 with the Lunz Group to design the offices.
The company found mold growing on walls, deteriorating materials and fixtures, and rainwater intrusion.
The stairs, handrails, guardrails, clearances as well as a lack of vertical accessibility to the second floor, does not meet current building code requirements.
None of the five restrooms meet the current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
The new one-floor building will be located at 902 N. Mobley St, and its interior conditioned space will be 15,224 square feet.
Several things that it will consist of include:
• Lobby
• Large multi-purpose room
• Storage room
• Two executive offices
• Four manager offices
• Crew Ready Room for Solid Waste
• Map room for utilities
• Utility workshop room
• Water resource management storage
• Utilities conference room
• Solid Waste conference room
“I think it’s a great facility,” McDaniel said. “It’s going to be an improvement for the operation.”
Sessions and Kwag are a part of an evaluation committee that selected the construction company as the top ranked respondent and a Notice of Intent to Award was issued on June 20.
The committee also consists of Assistant City Manager Jack Holland, Director Lynn Spivey of the Utilities Department, and Tonya Grant, project development and implementation manager. Currently 60 percent of the design has been done.
Tasks for the pre-construction and construction phase will be performed through a work order.
A guaranteed maximum price the construction of the facility will be negotiated when the design phase is almost complete.
There is $4,003,673 in the capital improvement plan (CIP) for construction and new furniture. The funds are coming from:
• Upfront savings from bond refinancing in November 2020 – $902,819
• Water Sewer Fund – $952, 533
• Solid waste – $2,148,321
The Construction Manager at Risk method was selected to quicken the project and to assist with value engineering, cost estimating and constructability review.
When requested by the city’s representative, the construction manager will provide a written constructability analysis of the project and include items that should be addressed with Design Professional such as accessibility, construction methods, assembly, installation, materials handling, expandability, phasing, and other construction phase-related activities.
The analysis of constructability issues will be performed on an ongoing basis during the design phase.
If the city instructs Design Professional to alter any design or construction documents, the construction manager will consult with the city’s representative regarding the impact of such modifications on the current project cost estimate and the project schedules.
The construction manager will also suggest different means and methods of minimizing any adverse impact of those alterations.
Going forward, 80 percent of the design is planned to be done in August, and is expected to be finished in October.
Construction is anticipated to start in November or December.
Varrea Phase 1
That evening, the city commission approved the plat and waiver request for the proposed Varrea Phase 1 subdivision. This was after the applicant of the project proposed the final plat that would create a 265-lot single-family residential subdivision, located in the Varrea Planned Development District.
The lots will consist of 126 single-family detached dwellings, 113 townhomes, and 23 paired villas, on approximately 171 acres of land
The subdivision will be located on the westside of Charlie Taylor Road, south of Midway Road, and north of Swindell Road.
Also, a waiver was granted to allow dead-end streets in lieu of the required cul-de-sac for those areas that will connect to future phases.
The applicant worked along with the Engineering Division to ensure the plat’s design met their approval.
The staff supports the waiver as the proposed dead-end street does not serve any proposed residential lots. In addition, there will be an emergency vehicle turnaround within the adjacent amenity center.
The single family and villas setback at the front will be 20 feet. At the side it will be 5 feet (15 feet when the side abuts the right-of-way. The rear will have a 30-foot setback (15 feet when abutting open space as defined by the Code of Ordinances).
The front of the townhomes will have a setback of 20 feet, while the side will have 5 feet (15 feet when the side abuts the right-of-way.) The rear will be 20 feet (15 feet when abutting open space as defined by the Code of Ordinances. On May 25, the Plant City Planning Board approved the Varrea Phase 1 subdivision and waiver request by a vote of 7-0.
The board determined that the project met the Plant City Zoning Ordinance, subdivision regulations, a Florida statute, and the Imagine 2040: Comprehensive Plan.
Cart-to-Curb truck names
Plant City’s three, newest automated trash collection trucks have officially been named as part of the Name that Truck contest, where there were 193 entries.
The names given by the winning contestants are: Scoopy by Carol Rhodes; Obi One Can Only by Dean Davis; and Hauling Harry by Melissa Isgett.
Each truck has a name displayed on the cab doors and are a part of Phase 2 for the new Cart-to-Curb trash collecting system.
This comes after four new trucks for Phase 1 were named last year.
During the commission meeting, the three finalists for the Phase 2 trucks received prize packages and plaques.
A portion of Plant City residents received new services starting in August of last year, as part of Phase 1.
Those in Phase 2 who have not received their new Cart-to Curb trash bins, will be issued one in late July and the new service will begin in August.
The bins are available in three sizes: 95, 65, and 35 gallons.