OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Public Projects Committee Meeting - September 23, 2025

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, September 23, 2025
BodyTuscaloosa, Alabama
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, September 23, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 25:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

And second any discussion.

0:01

All in favor say aye.

0:03

Aye.

0:04

Minutes are approved.

0:05

Item number one under new business's approval of a professional services agreement with CSL services for long-term flow monitoring on parts of our sanitary sewage system.

0:16

The total is 138,096.

0:19

Mr.

0:19

Gurney, welcome.

0:20

Thank you.

0:21

Good afternoon.

0:22

Good afternoon.

0:24

So this is an annual contract.

0:29

This contract has the option to renew for two years.

0:33

This is the renewal the third or the third year, so we're having to renew it.

0:37

But we have uh 19 flow monitors in our sewer system on water tamer lines.

0:42

It helps us understand infiltration, how rain flow affects how much flows in the system and trends like where the development is and how that's impacting our system, things like that.

0:55

So 19 flow meters, five rain gauges.

0:59

We uh get an annual report from CSL, and then we have an option to install two temporary flow meters for three months at a time if something comes up and we we want to do some study.

1:11

Um it's funded through our uh water and series special project center search flow monitoring analysis operations account.

1:21

How's the pricing been on it from you at a year?

1:24

So the prices last time we had this contract was three years ago, it went up five percent.

1:30

So the price stayed the same.

1:32

We just took out previously we had three temporary meters.

1:36

We took one of those out.

1:38

So what does that mean?

1:40

Is it easing up five percent?

1:43

Is it up twenty percent?

1:44

Is it it's up five percent?

1:46

The cost is up five percent.

1:47

I don't have any other questions.

1:49

Cash is second motion second, all in favor say aye.

1:53

Aye.

1:54

Item number one is approved.

1:55

I'm number two, approval for recommendation of bid award to price civil services for the 2026 sanitary sewer rehab and repair project.

2:04

Total is eight hundred and seventy-nine thousand four hundred ninety-two dollars eighty-four cents, right?

2:09

Yes, sir.

2:10

So this is similar to the last contract as in we renew it every three years or have to bid it every three years.

2:17

Um we we bid it this August.

2:20

We had two bidders on price civil service with a low bidder.

2:24

Um, this is our so this contract is our reactive sewer repair contract.

2:30

Um previously we averaged about 50 work orders a year on that contract.

2:36

Um it's funded out of our water sewer special projects pipe manhole rehab slash repair account.

2:44

It is within our budget.

2:46

Um so any questions.

2:48

So we set a number that's an up to and then if it if the because we obviously don't know how we're gonna have to use it, right?

2:58

Right.

2:58

We don't exceeds that you just come in here and ask for uh revision.

3:03

That's right, which we did.

3:04

Yeah, you remember that uh I guess about six weeks ago.

3:08

Okay, so it's just based on historical averages of what we think, right?

3:12

What we think it would be.

3:13

Well, we've been we've been we've been unit prices, so we've been we have a large list of quantities that it could be and we we get unit prices on those, and so when we do a work order, we have unit prices.

3:24

So that's how you compare separate bids is unit prices, and there's all these broken down pieces that they're pricing.

3:32

That's right.

3:34

All right, I'm good.

3:37

Motion second all in favor say aye.

3:39

Aye.

3:40

Item two is approved.

3:41

Item number three, authorization for joint funding agreement with U.S.

3:45

Geological Survey Water Resources Division for stream stream flow gauging station on North River near Samantha and the stage gauge and rain gauge at Lake Tuscaloosa.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████████30%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████████27%
Facility Management██████████████14%
Transportation Safety███████████11%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Technology and Innovation██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Projects Committee Meeting

On September 23, 2025, the Tuscaloosa Public Projects Committee met at 7:30 PM to consider several agenda items related to utilities, infrastructure, and city facilities. The meeting began with approval of the previous meeting's minutes. All items on the consent calendar were approved unanimously. A major discussion focused on railroad agreements for the MLK/Jack Warner Parkway Phase 3 project, and an update was provided on proposed wake boat regulations for Lake Tuscaloosa.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 1: Approval of professional services agreement with CSL Services for long-term flow monitoring (19 flow monitors, 5 rain gauges) – total $138,096. Funding from water/sewer special projects account. Approved.
  • Item 2: Bid award to Price Civil Services for 2026 sanitary sewer rehab and repair – total $879,492.84. Reactive sewer repair contract averaging 50 work orders per year. Approved.
  • Item 3: Joint funding agreement with USGS for stream gauging station on North River and stage/rain gauge at Lake Tuscaloosa – total $22,600. Approved.
  • Item 4: Joint funding agreement with USGS for stream flow gauging station at Cribs Mill Creek – total $13,575. Approved.
  • Item 5: Minor public works contract with Meeks Environmental for cleaning services at lift stations – total not to exceed $9,500. Approved.
  • Item 6: Change order #2 with Apex Civil Construction for 601 Greensboro Avenue water vault – deductive total $1,036. Approved.
  • Item 7: Minor public works contract with Main Stage Theatrical Supply for commemorative lighting at City Hall – total $22,400. Funded by CFG five-year plan. Approved.
  • Item 8: Amendment #1 to contract with A Day in May for chiller maintenance – $6,000 increase to total not to exceed $52,800. Approved.
  • Item 9: Amendment #2 to contract with Freeman Sheet Metal for roofing services – $8,500 increase to total not to exceed $53,500. Approved.
  • Item 10: Professional services contract with Grow Marketing for HR recruitment website – total $5,500. Approved.

Discussion Items

  • Item 11: MLK/Jack Warner Parkway Phase 3 – Railroad agreements – Mr. Holmes presented agreements with Canadian Pacific Kansas Southern Railroad for two overpass bridges (main line and spur line). The main line requires an easement from the railroad, while the spur line requires the city to grant an easement. The agreements incorporate engineering plans and liability provisions. Mr. Holmes noted that only the exhibit referencing the plan version remains to be finalized. The mayor hopes to award the bid in early 2026, with construction likely starting in late spring/summer 2026. The project is estimated to take 30 months. Discussion also covered bond financing, coordination with TIGER grant funding, and potential bundling with other projects like Greensboro Avenue. The committee approved the authorization to execute the agreements.
  • Wake Boat Regulations Update – Kimberly updated that the city is finalizing draft regulations for deep wake boats on Lake Tuscaloosa. The regulations will be reviewed by the mayor and presented to the council and community groups in late October, with a goal of approval by January 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • All ten consent calendar items (1–10) were approved by voice vote (all ayes).
  • Item 11 (railroad agreements) was approved by voice vote.
  • The next Public Projects Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

And second any discussion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Minutes are approved. Item number one under new business's approval of a professional services agreement with CSL services for long-term flow monitoring on parts of our sanitary sewage system. The total is 138,096. Mr. Gurney, welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. So this is an annual contract. This contract has the option to renew for two years. This is the renewal the third or the third year, so we're having to renew it. But we have uh 19 flow monitors in our sewer system on water tamer lines. It helps us understand infiltration, how rain flow affects how much flows in the system and trends like where the development is and how that's impacting our system, things like that. So 19 flow meters, five rain gauges. We uh get an annual report from CSL, and then we have an option to install two temporary flow meters for three months at a time if something comes up and we we want to do some study. Um it's funded through our uh water and series special project center search flow monitoring analysis operations account. How's the pricing been on it from you at a year? So the prices last time we had this contract was three years ago, it went up five percent. So the price stayed the same. We just took out previously we had three temporary meters. We took one of those out. So what does that mean? Is it easing up five percent? Is it up twenty percent? Is it it's up five percent? The cost is up five percent. I don't have any other questions. Cash is second motion second, all in favor say aye. Aye. Item number one is approved. I'm number two, approval for recommendation of bid award to price civil services for the 2026 sanitary sewer rehab and repair project. Total is eight hundred and seventy-nine thousand four hundred ninety-two dollars eighty-four cents, right? Yes, sir. So this is similar to the last contract as in we renew it every three years or have to bid it every three years. Um we we bid it this August. We had two bidders on price civil service with a low bidder. Um, this is our so this contract is our reactive sewer repair contract. Um previously we averaged about 50 work orders a year on that contract. Um it's funded out of our water sewer special projects pipe manhole rehab slash repair account. It is within our budget. Um so any questions. So we set a number that's an up to and then if it if the because we obviously don't know how we're gonna have to use it, right? Right. We don't exceeds that you just come in here and ask for uh revision. That's right, which we did. Yeah, you remember that uh I guess about six weeks ago. Okay, so it's just based on historical averages of what we think, right?

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com