Barbee District To Pay For Part Of Subdivison's Sewer Line

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer-

Applause broke out Thursday when the Barbee Conservancy District decided to pay for additional costs to install an 8-inch sewer pipe to North Webster from a development on Armstrong Road.

The vote was unanimous and may precede plans to install a sewer system around the Barbee chain of lakes.

The board has met monthly since this summer to discuss costs of construction, costs to residents and the advantages and disadvantages of a lake-area sewer system. The most cost-effective option is seen as carrying the waste to North Webster for treatment.

Developers of Oakland Hills, a residential subdivison under construction northeast of the lakes on Armstrong Road, plan to install a sewer line to North Webster. If the force main was just for the single family homes, a 6-inch pipe would suffice. If plans are to install a sewage system around the Barbee area, an 8-inch line is required.

If the district had to install its own line, costs would exceed $388,000.

During the special meeting, board members and about 60 residents heard costs for pipe made of Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC, have escalated from $4.15 per foot to $5.99 per foot. The board agreed to pay $70,212 for the material, instead of about $45,000, a price given last month.

DLZ engineer Andy Dodzick said costs have gone up because the resin plants in Louisiana and Mississippi are closed because of the hurricanes that came through those states in August and September.

District member Scott Fox introduced Rick Helm, saying the lawyer was there to answer questions because the district doesn't have an active project.

Helm said the State Board of Accounts may question the expense because there is no project, but the funding could be justified because it is a "protective measure against a future need.

"I have no idea what the SBA will say a year from now," he said. "The worst-case scenario is they'll ask the board members to pay it back."

One board member said they'd be happy to share the repayment with the attorney.

The board reiterated that the district was paying for materials only, and that if costs for the 8-inch force main went down, the district would pay less.

Board members are Bart Brugh, Barry Hecker, Scott Fox, Don Harris and Dick Long. The next meeting is Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]

Applause broke out Thursday when the Barbee Conservancy District decided to pay for additional costs to install an 8-inch sewer pipe to North Webster from a development on Armstrong Road.

The vote was unanimous and may precede plans to install a sewer system around the Barbee chain of lakes.

The board has met monthly since this summer to discuss costs of construction, costs to residents and the advantages and disadvantages of a lake-area sewer system. The most cost-effective option is seen as carrying the waste to North Webster for treatment.

Developers of Oakland Hills, a residential subdivison under construction northeast of the lakes on Armstrong Road, plan to install a sewer line to North Webster. If the force main was just for the single family homes, a 6-inch pipe would suffice. If plans are to install a sewage system around the Barbee area, an 8-inch line is required.

If the district had to install its own line, costs would exceed $388,000.

During the special meeting, board members and about 60 residents heard costs for pipe made of Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC, have escalated from $4.15 per foot to $5.99 per foot. The board agreed to pay $70,212 for the material, instead of about $45,000, a price given last month.

DLZ engineer Andy Dodzick said costs have gone up because the resin plants in Louisiana and Mississippi are closed because of the hurricanes that came through those states in August and September.

District member Scott Fox introduced Rick Helm, saying the lawyer was there to answer questions because the district doesn't have an active project.

Helm said the State Board of Accounts may question the expense because there is no project, but the funding could be justified because it is a "protective measure against a future need.

"I have no idea what the SBA will say a year from now," he said. "The worst-case scenario is they'll ask the board members to pay it back."

One board member said they'd be happy to share the repayment with the attorney.

The board reiterated that the district was paying for materials only, and that if costs for the 8-inch force main went down, the district would pay less.

Board members are Bart Brugh, Barry Hecker, Scott Fox, Don Harris and Dick Long. The next meeting is Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]

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