Ches. Beach sewer project contract approved

Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Two competitive bids were considered and Town Engineer Paul Woodburn suggested the town award Gradient Construction of Chesapeake Beach with the low bid of $620,836.

The project, will upgrade the sewer pipeline to existing standards and eliminate improper drainage of phosphorus and nitrogen.

Council members Ingrid Lamb and Bob Carpenter were hesitant to approve the bid without seeing a breakdown on how the money was being used.

"I have a problem with approving $620,000 with one sentence," Carpenter said. Lamb asked to table the vote until next month, saying she was not questioning Woodburn's knowledge, but wanted more information.

Woodburn, who has been working on the project for more than a year, told the council that the bid is needed by November in order to receive the funds awarded by the Maryland Department of the Environment through a 1 percent loan from federal stimulus funds.

Woodburn showed the council copies of all the bids with each expenditure broken down in front of him and Mayor Bruce Wahl suggested that copies be made and distributed to the council at that time. Wahl also spoke of the urgency of approving a contractor and said that the new drainage pipes will put the waste water with nitrogen and phosphorus "back in the grass where it can do good."

"The waste water is highly treated and completely clean," he said.

After time to review the documents, the council voted to award the contract to Gradient Construction.

An ordinance was introduced in regards to the "D" Street sewer project which empowers the town to issue to the Maryland Water Quality Financing Administration its general obligation bonds in aggregate principal — not to exceed $1.56 million — to finance, refinance or reimburse cost of the project. A public hearing on the ordinance was set for 7:55 p.m. prior to next month's town council meeting on Nov. 19.

Ordinances introduced

The "Vehicles and Parking" ordinance, which amends the current ordinance, was reintroduced with the suggestions from last month's public hearing. The ordinance is consistent with the state regarding parking distances near stop signs and corners, said Elissa Levan, town attorney.

An ordinance was introduced to amend the budget for this fiscal year reallocating budget appropriations and ratifying all prior expenditures. Public hearings were set beginning at 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Town to charge to use beach

After a trial period this past summer, the town agreed to continue to charge nonresidents a fee to use Bayfront Park, Brownie's Beach next year. The fee alleviated the parking problem on Route 261, Council Member Pat Mahoney said, adding, "I never saw one car on the road" after charging a fee.

Council approves power sharing program

After a presentation by Town Administrator Jim Parent, the council approved participation in an energy sharing program with EnerNOC, which will pay the town for putting its generators on the grid so the company could use the town's power at peak electricity usage times.

EnerNOC, with several offices all over the United States, will use the electricity from the town's generators when deemed needed and will pay the town for the for the possible use of its power.

"It's an insurance policy for the electric company," Parent explained. EnerNOC can use the town's generators three times a year for two hours and the town could receive between $11,000 and $12,000, he said.

"All we have to do is put the meters on and collect the check," Parent said.

Town awarded grant

The town received $19,000 from the Maryland Governor's office from the EmPOWER Clean Energy grant, Wahl said.

"I like getting mail like that," he said. The mayor did not discus how the money will be used.

charvat@somdnews.com