Thursday March 28th, 2024 12:42PM

Clarkesville approves engineering firm for $6.5 million in water improvements

CLARKESVILLE — The Clarkesville City Council has formally selected an engineering firm to design improvements to the city’s water system.

Monday night, the council voted to hire G. Ben Turnipseed Engineers for an estimated $572,000, including $314,400 in basic services, $137,800 in resident project observation, and $120,000 in additional services, according to the more than 60-page contract.

The city is faced with necessary improvements to its water system for current and future customers.

At a called meeting in December, “we approved a loan package through the USDA of about $6.5 million, and that was all for improvements to the water treatment system and to the water treatment plant,” City Manager Barbara Kesler said after the public portion of Monday night’s meeting.

“What this approval was for tonight is to hire G. Ben Turnipseed Engineers to do the actual engineering plans for all the projects that we’re going to be completing with those funds,” Kesler said, adding the documents created will allow the city to proceed with seeking bids for the projects.

Asked by Councilwoman Leigh Johnston during the meeting for his opinion on the proposal, Councilman Franklin Brown said, “To me, the numbers are a little high but I think it’s within reason for what we’re going to be faced with because we have some pretty serious issues. We’ve got some things that have got to be addressed, and the time has come for us to do so.”

Brown then asked Kesler if she believed the proposal is the best financing option the city could find.

“I think these are the best terms that we’re going to get," Kesler said. "The big question I’m asking myself is I don’t want someone sitting in these seats 40 years from now saying why did they do that. I want somebody sitting in the seat 40 years from now saying they made the best decision for the water system.”

Kesler said she is confident the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority will not beat the terms of the USDA loan and its 1.65-percent interest rate.

“We won’t get anywhere close to the kind of interest rate that we’re looking at, and I just don’t think there’s any more advantageous monies out there to get all these things done,” Kesler said. “There are extra funds available in this project in case we come across things that we can’t know right now, that we can’t see. For example, the under-drain system that failed that has caused us to be discussing Item No. 7 on the agenda [purchase of water from Demorest]. I think we have exhausted all avenues that are out there for us to find more attractive funding arrangements.”

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