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County to save with "not to exceed" waste plant contract
By Adam Minchey, P.E.
Director of Engineering and Construction
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DEC. 19, 2006 -- Creating a collaboration of contractor, design engineer and county staff to increase efficiencies and reduce overall cost is the aim of an approach being employed by the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources (DWR) for its Yellow River Water Reclamation Facility modernization project.

The "Construction Manager at Risk" approach appeared on the agendas of the Water and Sewerage Authority's December 11 meeting, and on the Board of Commissioners' meeting on Decemer 12. On the agendas was a request to award a construction contract to Pizzagalli Construction Company in the not-to-exceed amount of $250 million. If approved, DWR will bring together Pizzagalli with Jordan, Jones and Goulding (JJG), the engineering firm already under contract to design the facility's expansion from 14.5 million gallons per day (mgd) to 22 mgd.

Benefits of the coordination between builder and designer include saving time and money by incorporating the contractor's expertise on constructability with the designer's knowledge of the treatment system. Costs are also controlled since the contractor has incentive to work to ensure costs remain below the not-to-exceed amount. Gwinnett County successfully employed a similar approach during construction of the Gwinnett Arena and the Comprehensive Correctional Complex.

DWR recommended the approach in part to save costs on a project that had seen its price tag rise. Like many construction projects across the country, estimated costs for the Yellow River WRF modernization increased dramatically following events such as Hurricane Katrina that pushed prices for construction materials and equipment upward. In order to bring costs back in line with projections, DWR also decided to incorporate an alternative technology into the Yellow River WRF design - membrane bioreactors (MBR) - to save an estimated $50 million in the revised construction cost estimate.

Although the change in technology requires an additional $6 million allocation to JJG for design of the higher technology MBR process, providing engineering support services for an additional year, and other services, the net savings for the overall project is estimated at $44 million based on the changes. A request for approval of the design fee adjustment came at the Board's December 12 agenda.

The Yellow River WRF modernization project is part of ongoing upgrading and consolidation of the County's WRFs in the Yellow River Basin. This was recommended in the County's Master Plan developed with input from area citizens as a planning guide for the next 50 years.

Increasing the capacity of the Yellow River WRF will decrease the County's operating and maintenance costs by allowing flow to be diverted from two smaller, aging treatment plants that will eventually be removed from service. Treated flow that is discharged from the Yellow River WRF will also meet higher standards than that currently coming from the smaller facilities, resulting in improved water quality in the Yellow River.

More information about the Yellow River WRF modernization project can be found at www.yellowriverwrf.com.

First, it was the loss of the movie theatre in small towns ...
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

DEC. 19, 2006 -- First it was the local movie theatre that closed, back years ago, as television took more of the local audience away.

Later on, schools "got better" by consolidating, they all said, and the town lost its local high school, too.

About that time, with improved transportation to nearby cities, and with death taking its toll on old-time merchants, the local grocery store closed. About the only place left in town to buy any grocery item was the convenience store, with its high prices. For sure, it didn't have a butcher shop, but only a few packaged meats. Nor did it have a cheese wheel, nor stock bulk items. And with it, the town lost its "loafer's bench," a major gathering spot for philosophy.

Of course, the cotton gin had been closed for years. It went well after the livery station closed. The trains closed their depot ages ago. Even the Greyhound doesn't come through any more.

In another of those consolidating moves, even the Post Office decided the town could best be served from that nearby city. That was another gathering spot lost, plus the job as postmaster. And no one at the Post Office today knows much about people in the town any more.

Then, last week, came the move that topped them all: the Georgia Department of Transportation, in its wisdom, eliminated the name of the town from its maps of Georgia.

Now no one could see on the map where the town was located. This was a most bitter pill for any resident or former resident of a small town to swallow. When your own government through its highway department doesn't list where you live, well, you are in the middle of no where, and the state of Georgia is a big state to be wandering around in.

Time the Highway Department announced the change, the hubbub of protests began, coming in virtual unison from every nook and cranny in the state. At first the Department tried to modify its pronouncement, and say it would restore a few towns, those being county seats, or those with post offices. But the uproar didn't die down with this, as people were still concerned, and anyway, the modification didn't amount to many towns being restored to the map.

Now, as we understand, the Highway Department is in consultation and conference over its big error.

Why the Department can't simply admit that it goofed, and restore all those place names to the state map, we'll never understand. It doesn't take much effort, and very little cost if any, to do that.

Yet some unnamed bureaucrat is concerned that their boss might be offended by saying that "We were wrong." So instead of a quick apology, we'll have meetings, perhaps daily and often into the night, as to the best way for the Department to get out of this morass, while saving face, and not firing anyone, nor getting their regular job done.

That's what is needed: for whoever started all this needs to be relieved of their job. For if this is the way that they think, we don't need that person, or persons who agreed to it, working for us taxpaying citizens.

Be done with them all, restore the town names, reprint the map, and we'll all be happier.

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We have more fun when we disagree but I have to give it to you: you hit the nail on the head with "How To Get MARTA Passed In Gwinnett." (GwinnettForum, December12.) I said since the 70's that the only way it would pass would be to allow it by the militia districts. Your corridor vision is an extension of this same idea. There is a problem that would have to be overcome just like it occurred following the creation of MARTA in Fulton and DeKalb counties: keeping out the "outsiders," that is, those who are not being taxed for the service.

Do you remember the days when patrols would travel the MARTA parking lots and discredit those with out-of-county license plates who parked and rode? How would you make it equitable in Gwinnett or would you even try? Good luck on a workable answer.

Gwinnett's transit operator, Veolia Transportation, Inc., is to move the Transit Operations and Maintenance facility to a new location on Buford Highway, north of the City of Norcross, from its current location on Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville.

Under this contract modification, Veolia will construct, equip and operate a transit maintenance, operations and customer service facility as part of the services provided to the County.

The decision by Gwinnett County to partner with a private company for the provision of a maintenance facility allows the county to maximize its use of federal grant funds, thereby reducing the County subsidy by approximately $1.2 million in 2007 while at the same time providing a new, modern and efficient maintenance facility.

Since its inception in 2001, the transit system has performed maintenance on its fleet, now totaling 68 county buses, at a temporary facility located on Board of Education property along Scenic Highway. This new facility should be operational by mid-2007.

Garden Plaza Senior Community, a 150-unit apartment home retirement community being built in Lawrenceville at Georgia Highway 316 and Collins Hill Road exit, is scheduled to open in late summer, 2007.

Century Park Associates and a sister company, Life Care Centers of America, operates over 40 independent and assisted living communities in 19 states.

The property boasts five-star service and amenities including an enclosed Swimming Pool/Spa with Fitness Center and locker rooms, dining services, beauty/barber shop, internet café, library, courtyard gardens, garages/storage, chauffer and van services. The apartment homes will be leased on a monthly basis to seniors aged 55 and older. Special pre-construction leasing rates are available prior to opening.

This community offers studio, one and two bedroom accommodations. For further information, please contact Frankie Bentley (frankie_bentley@lcca.com) at (770) 236-8333 or visit the Garden Plaza at 230 Collins Industrial Way, Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett Federal Credit Union has copped the Credit Union National Association's Louise A. Herring Philosophy in Action Award. The award recognizes Gwinnett Federal's program for assisting the local Bosnian immigrants.

Gwinnett Federal has mainstreamed its financial products and services to the Bosnian community who had little to no trust of 'banks'. The credit union has taken the time to establish relationships with these immigrants and educate them on the benefits of credit union membership. Understanding the Bosnian language and their culture has been a foundation in these relationships.

Gwinnett Federal helps its Bosnian members by not only addressing their loan needs but by having at least one Bosnian speaking employee at each location. Marshall Boutwell, CEO and president of Gwinnett Federal Credit Union, says: "The credit union understands that most immigrants have a legitimate reason for not having a credit history, so Gwinnett Federal assumes they are creditworthy. Our efforts are aimed at helping integrate immigrants fully into the American economy, thereby benefiting the immigrants and the communities in which they live. By serving the underserved within our field of membership, we illustrate the credit union philosophy and demonstrate the human side of what we do."

This annual award recognizes credit unions that, in day-to-day operations, demonstrate the credit union philosophy of "people helping people" in an extraordinary way. The award recognition will be presented in February at the 2007 Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. The Louise A. Herring Award for Philosophy in Action is named after the late Louise A. Herring, who managed several Ohio credit unions and who helped organize nearly 500 credit unions in that state.

Major road improvements ahead at $10 million price tag

Over $10 million in road construction projects for two intersection improvements, a major road widening and two sidewalk projects are on tap at the Gwinnett Department of Transportation.

The Centerville-Rosebud Road at Mink Livsey Road intersection improvement was awarded to low bidder CMES, Inc. for $959,104. This project adds both left and right turn lanes on Centerville Rosebud Road at its intersection with Mink Livsey Road. This project is expected to be complete by late 2007.

Intersection improvements to Georgia Highway 124 at Prospect Road will realign Prospect Road west of Braselton Highway so that it aligns with the existing Prospect Road on the east side of Braselton Highway. Left and right turn lanes will be added to Braselton Highway and Prospect Road will get a right turn lane on the west side. The project will also improve the intersection of Prospect Road and Ridge Road, providing a left turn lane from Prospect Road to Ridge Road, and is slated for completion by late 2007. Low bidder Baldwin Paving Company, Inc., received the contract to make these improvements for an amount not to exceed $1.6 million.

Georgia Highway 324 will be widened from I-85 to Braselton Highway by low bidder G.P.'s Enterprises, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $6.8 million. Gravel Springs Road will go from two to four lanes with a raised median and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. This is a continuation of improvements which began earlier this year by widening Gravel Springs Road from Buford Drive to I-85. State funds contributed $2.5 million towards this project, bringing its total commitment to Gwinnett County to $5 million for both projects. The anticipated completion of this project is late 2008.

Residents will have continuous sidewalk coverage from Hamilton Mill Road to Thompson Mill Road with the school safety project at Jones Middle School. Sidewalks will be added from the school to Thompson Mill Road. Sidewalks were previously built from Ivy Creek Elementary to Jones Middle School. Low bidder ISC, Inc., will complete this project by the end of summer 2007 for an amount not to exceed $347,543.

A pedestrian safety project at Brook Hollow Parkway was awarded to low bidder J.J. E. Constructors, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $480,250. This project will add sidewalks from Mitchell Street to Indian Trail Road that will tie in to sidewalks on Indian Trail Road to Beaver Ruin Road. The project will be complete by late 2007.

The projects are funded by SPLOST with the exception of the Georgia Highway 324 project, which is partially funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GA-DOT)

The City of Duluth recently recognized several employees for their outstanding commitment and service to the community.

The recognition came at functions on December 8 at the Police Department, and the December 15 Annual Employees luncheon. Each department nominates an employee of the year. Every city employee votes on those nominees for the employee of the year. Congratulations to all those wonderful employees who received awards!

George W. Crawford (1798-1872), the sole Whig to serve as governor of Georgia, was elected to two terms from 1843 to 1847. Crawford also served as a Georgia state representative, state attorney general, a U.S. congressman, and the secretary of war under U.S. president Zachary Taylor. In 1861 Crawford came out of retirement to chair the state secession convention in Milledgeville.

Born on December 22, 1798, in Columbia County, he received a Bachelor of Arts at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University). After passing the bar in Georgia, he set up a law practice in Augusta. Crawford eventually earned a Master of Arts from the University of Georgia, and in 1826 he married Mary Ann Macintosh.

Governor John Forsyth appointed Crawford to fill a vacant spot as attorney general of Georgia in 1827. The next year, Crawford instigated a duel with Thomas Burnside over a series of accusations that Burnside published about Crawford's father. Crawford shot Burnside dead, but the incident would not inhibit his political career. Despite the controversy, he continued as attorney general until 1831. In 1837 Richmond County voters elected him to the state legislature under the States' Rights ticket. In 1842 he won a vacant seat, as a Whig, in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he spent a quiet year in Congress.

In an attempt to capitalize on Crawford's electoral success, the Georgia Whig Party unanimously chose him to represent it in the 1843 gubernatorial election. Thanks in part to divisions within the Democratic Party in Georgia, Crawford defeated Mark Anthony Cooper to become the only Whig to occupy the Governor's Mansion. Crawford won a second term as governor in 1845, despite Henry Clay's failure to carry the state for the Whigs in the previous year's presidential election.

Crawford chose not to run for a third term as governor, and in 1849 President Taylor appointed him secretary of war. A scandal tainted Crawford's time in the cabinet, however. While in office, he was involved in settling a claim from the government for the Galphin family (descendants of Indian trader George Galphin) and received a large share of the settlement for his services.

In the midst of accusations and the sudden death of President Taylor in 1850, Crawford resigned from office and retired from public life for a decade. In 1861 he was elected to represent Richmond County at Georgia's secession convention. At the convention, the delegates selected Crawford as chairman for the proceedings, and he oversaw the vote of secession. Following the convention, Crawford retired to Richmond County, where he died on July 27, 1872.

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