Jan. 31 - Feb. 6, 2019
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Council votes 4-1 to construct parking lot, design sidewalk Engineering firm Freese and Nichols Inc. will be hired for “on call” services, design of a new parking lot at the community park and a U.S. 220 sidewalk by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield Town Council voted last week to hire Freese and Nichols Inc. as the town’s “on call” engineering firm and, separately, as the designer of a new parking lot at the town’s community park and a sidewalk along U.S. 220. The council voted 4-1 at a special called meeting on Jan. 24 to enter into three contracts with Freese and Nichols. Council member Teresa Pegram, who opposed the action, described one of the contracts as “an openended checkbook” and the sidewalk as going “nowhere.” Town Manager Scott Whitaker recommended hiring Freese and Nichols to handle routine work such as storm water engineering and evaluation of site plans for new construction. Such assignments would typically be handled by a staff engineer, but as a limited-
service government, Summerfield doesn’t employ one, Whitaker said. According to the contract, Freese and Nichols will charge an hourly rate, ranging from $53 an hour for interns to $210 an hour for experienced professional staff.
“I see it as a way to have a trusted engineering firm at our disposal when we need them,” Whitaker said. Pegram said the town should hire engineers as needed, to which Whitaker responded that using the formal bidding process for routine work would be cumbersome and overwhelm staff. Mayor Gail Dunham said she objected to the contract because it “gives the manager a tremendous amount of control and power. I see that the manager would have sole authority. He wouldn’t have to bring things back to the town.” The manager doesn’t have authority to spend more than the council has budgeted for a project, Finance Officer Dee Hall pointed out. Whitaker added
We are known in the area as the town with the defunct tunnel… I think it’s time that we don’t have the defunct tunnel.” Jane Doggett, chair of Summerfield’s Trails and Open Space Committee, on constructing a sidewalk to connect a pedestrian tunnel underneath U.S. 220 to Summerfield Road that spending more than $10,000 for a budgeted item requires the council’s approval. “I think we’re really getting stuck on this falsehood that there is a blank check,” council member Reece Walker said. “It is a fine tool that our manager should have at his disposal to help move projects along. Council doesn’t need to be involved in every single day-to-day operation. I trust our staff.” Separately, the council accepted Freese and Nichols’ $38,140 proposal to redesign and oversee construction of a
P&Z Board recommends denying rezoning request Taking the board’s recommendation into consideration, on Feb. 7 Oak Ridge Town Council will hear developer’s request to rezone nearly 30 acres on N.C. 68 for townhomes and twin homes by CHRIS BURRITT OAK RIDGE – Nearby homeowners recently argued
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IN THIS ISSUE CDs to CDARS will aid bottom line .. 3
that a proposed development on nearly 30 acres along N.C. 68 was inconsistent with the town’s land use plan. Largely in agreement, the Oak Ridge Planning and Zoning Board voted 5-2 on Jan. 24 to recommend denying a developer’s request to rezone the property for up to 48 single-family townhouses and twin houses. About 20 percent of the property is in Oak Ridge’s town core district, with the remaining 80 percent outside that district, in the town core transition area. According to the land
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