Town Manager’s Report, April 11, 2024

Completion of Work at Mill Creek Regional Water Treatment Plant Project (WYP) Chlorine Contact Tank Project

Follow the Mill Creek water plant and the WCSA 12 reports, February 2022 to October 2025

You have in your agenda packet several documents relating to the completion of the WTP Chlorine Contact Tank Project. These include “Notice of Acceptability of Work” signed by Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) Engineering Manager Ryan Kiser, Change Order # 1 on the project, and the final pay request #6.

Regarding the “Acceptability of Work” this document was signed by the certifying engineer, this case Ryan Kiser as mentioned above on March 21. This would be done by a consulting engineer if the Town had been doing a similar project since we have no licensed Professional Engineer on staff. But since we are partnered with the WCSA, and they do have licensed engineers, this task was done by them. My March 21 letter to Rural Development concurs with Ryan’s assessment and needed to be executed since we are the owner.

Regarding Change Order Number 1, this was executed due to the time frame of the project. The project was initially supposed to be substantially completed about a year ago, but because of delays in getting tank components, which was known at the bidding / Notice of Award, and winter weather 355 days was added to Mid Atlantic Storage Systems’, Inc. Contract. You can read more on that in the “Description” narrative on the Change Order.

Regarding Requisition #6 the $107,836.45 request is the last scheduled payment. You can see the breakdown of the cost sharing on my letter to Robert Hilt on March 21. On the last sheet of the packet at the top you can see the total project breakdown - $266,944 Chilhowie; $326,388.8 WCSA; $633,388.8 Rural Development; $90,000 Mt. Rogers PDC. The Town / WCSA breakdown was 45% / 55%, respectively. The Town’s portion was scheduled to come out of the American Rescue Plan Act, but will have to do further reckoning to ascertain what accounts that money came from.

County Wide Household Hazardous Waste Day

You have in your agenda package a notice of the Household Hazardous Wast Collection Day to be held on April 27th from 8:00 to 1:00. It will be held at the Smyth Career and Technology Center.

Each locality helps pay for the pickup. I believe Chilhowie’s share is $2,000, along with Saltville the same amount. Marion is picking up $6,000 and the County’s share $17,000, for a total of $25,000. The flyer tells citizens what they may bring to the pickup and what they may not. This is an excellent service to our citizens and we are promoting it as much as possible. This will be the only pickup this fiscal year of this type.

Response to Warning Letter from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) following Equipment Failure at Sewer Treatment Plant (STP)

You have in your agenda packet a March 15 Warning Letter from Keen, Compliance Manager of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). As you know I have advised Council that we would be receiving this letter as a result of equipment failure on or about January 25 through January 30. You also have attached my response letter dated March 19.

To recap and to summarize briefly, the ultraviolet (UV) system went out on the control panel January 25 and remained off until January 30. On January 30 we were able to get a temporary fix by a Kingdon Technology that flew in here from Texas. The temporary fix does not allow any readings on the control box for UV intensity, hours, utilizations, flows, etc. After Council authorized rush ordering the Trojan Technologies equipment in February, all the equipment arrived at the STP by the end of March. We are now awaiting the Trojan Technologies technician(s) to install the equipment. Sewer Operations Director Luke Lowe has done a great job managing this emergency.

As I stated we were expecting this letter from DEQ and we have kept them in immediate communication of the situation. Luke tells me he will be meeting with the Trojan representatives on April 11. At this time he tells me it will not be until the first of May until they can install everything.

Application for Funding Through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) Program for Splash Pad Complex / Educational Trail Project

Follow the splash pad 12 reports, March 2022 to August 2024

You have in your agenda packet a copy of the application I put in for the CDS Program. I was notified by Senator Mark Warner’s Regional Director Shane Clem of the program and had read about it beforehand.

As you can see in the application, I applied for the approximate $90,800 deficit of funding between the estimated cost of construction at $340,800, compared to the $250,000 put up by the Town of Chilhowie and the Smyth County Community Foundation. The project is tied in with and will enhance programs at the Chilhowie Branch Library, including adult GED classes, reading programs, special children’s events, etc.; plus programs of the Chilhowie Garden Club and the Virginia Extension office.

I am not fully familiar with the requirements of this program, but know its pretty open ended. I know that the Town of Tazewell got money for fire equipment and the Town of Marion for housing. Hopefully this project, especially with educational component, will be eligible.

The deadline for application was 5:00 on April 5. Since it only took me a day to put the application together, including about 50 pages of attachments which I did not include in this packet, I thought it would be work the effort for a possible $90,800.