A string of unexpected engineering costs for surveys and designs has Collegedale officials considering a different cost: that of hiring an additional city staff engineer.
Officials expressed frustration during their Sept. 3 Board of Commissioners meeting over a combined roughly $110,000 in additional costs for various projects.
"We've had so many cost overruns on every project it seems like we do," said Vice Mayor Tim Johnson. "It's taxpayer dollars that we need to be concerned about."
At the meeting, commissioners learned about an additional $55,835 needed for a sewage storage design plan, $21,000 for a new survey due to a change in the Prospect Church Road culvert project, and a request to move a service pole on Little Debbie Parkway/Old Lee Highway after recent road widening projects, another $33,383.
City Manager Ted Rogers has been in talks with Mayor Katie Lamb about the idea of adding a new city engineer and suggested it to the commission at the meeting. He is now researching the cost versus benefits of adding the position in conjunction with city's sole engineer, Wayon Hines. In a followup interview, Rogers said he doesn't expect to present a proposal to the commission for a few months.
"We're never going to be able to totally not outsource some engineers," he said during the meeting, likening a doctor's specialty to an engineer having specialties. Though he added, "If we have a stream of projects this position could pay for itself."
The discussion came after the board approved the additional $55,835 for design of a sewage storage system that Public Works Director Eric Sines explained would be cheaper to outsource since there is nobody on staff who can draft the plans.
Frustrations grew during a discussion about the Prospect Church Road project to add two bridges with box culverts, which will allow water to flow under the road. Funded at $300,000, that project is still underway 11 months into work - and costs are rising.
Originally, $78,000 was budgeted for the design, but the contractor, locally based Barge Design Solutions, is now requiring an additional $21,500 survey to finish the design for the underground sewage system, said Hines.
"That's absolutely ridiculous," Johnson said. "That's $21,000 we didn't plan on spending."
Hines said the city went back and forth with Barge Design Solutions but the contractor said they would "not be comfortable seeing the plans without the additional services."
"We're stuck," said Rogers.
As part of its contract, if the city decides to terminate its services with Barge, the company would have to give all the files to the city, Hines said during the meeting. But, the city wouldn't be able to "pick it up and finish their design." The only other option, he said, would be to go back to the beginning and hire another firm.
Hines also said that in the last year, Barge has had a change in management, which has slowed down the project significantly.
Sines said if the city were to change contractors, it could delay the project at least six months. The commission ultimately decided to defer the decision to vote until there is more information at its next meeting on Sept. 16.
Commissioners did give the green light to the last project discussed, the request to move a service pole near the Burger King on Little Debbie Parkway. Sines said the placement "worked on paper" but poses a hazard for large trucks, and if the pole were to be hit, there is a three-month wait period to get it replaced.
"Does it feel like [engineers] make plans and then come back and say 'Whoops, made a mistake. Let's charge them another $35,000?'" said Commissioner Ethan White. "This is two in a row in five minutes."
Sines said this wasn't exactly an engineering design mistake, but an evaluation of how the project looked in the field versus on paper.
The motion to fund the project passed 3-0, with commissioners Debbie Baker and Phil Garver absent from the meeting. Before their vote, Rogers told commissioners the roughly $34,000 to relocate the pole will come out of the city's cash flow.
Email Sabrina Bodon at sbodon@timesfreepress.com