John Willoughby:
Greene Publishing, Inc.
During the Monday, Nov. 19, regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Greenville Town Council, an emergency was declared in order to immediately bypass procurement policies, allowing the Town of Greenville to skip the bidding process and immediately hire a grant consultant for the sake of time, in regards to a $1 million grant for the Greenville Elementary School (GES) lift station project.
On Monday, Oct. 1, the Greenville Town Council and representatives from the District School Board of Madison County gathered together at the intersection of SW Overstreet Ave. and SW Ray Charles Ave., in Greenville, for a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the beginning of bringing in a new lift station for GES.
In February, Greenville Town Manager Edward Dean informed the council and citizens alike that GES was set to receive a new pump station after the existing pump station began failing, which was threatening the safety of the school's staff and students. Luckily, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded one million dollars to completely construct lift station number five.
Beforehand, it was determined that GES cannot function without the proper equipment to serve the pump station and a failing pump station jeopardizes the school's future, as the Madison County School Board would have been forced to close the school without a reliable sewer system. The thought of GES closing was the source of anxiety within the community of Greenville for some time.
A grant of $1 million was awarded through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as part of the State Revolving Fund (SRF). According to Dean, the project is "moving along nicely to say the least." Pipes have been laid and the force main is in place, allowing for a substantial completion on or before the anticipated deadline of Jan. 5, 2019.
Dean informed the council that DEP has a particular protocol as to the way construction workers and consultants are paid. The payment is governed through the Davis Bacon Act of 1931, a federal wage law which requires that workers receive no less than the prevailing wages being paid for similar work in the area – in this case, the region of Madison County. "[This is] something that I was not very familiar with," said Dean. "[This is] something that is in a specific niche-market area of expertise."
Dean requested that the board declare an emergency due to the fact that the Town of Greenville has already begun to receive invoices in regards to the project. Dean also requested that the contract pending from DEP for $25,000 (2.5 percent of $1 million) for Andy Eason and Associates, Inc. be approved, Eason having the expertise needed to help the Town of Greenville stay in compliance with the Davis Bacon Act of 1931. Dean expressed that the $25,000 for Eason would not come out of town revenue. Instead, the contract will be funded through the DEP grant.
The Department of Labor does surveys of construction workers in the region periodically. If a project is grant-funded, the contractor has to pay wages that are reflective of what's paid in the region of work. "If they're paying less than they're required to, they get in big trouble," said Eason. "That's a very, very important aspect of these federal grants."
Dean informed the council that an emergency needs to be declared to bypass procurement policies, allowing the Town of Greenville to skip the bidding process and immediately hire Eason for the sake of time. Vice Mayor Teresa Harville made a motion to declare an emergency. The motion was seconded by Councilman Bobby Burnett. An emergency was then declared unanimously, 4-0.
Councilman Burnett then made a motion to approve the emergency administrative services of Andy Eason and Associates, Inc. Councilwoman Cynthia James seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
The next regularly scheduled town council meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., at Greenville Town Hall. Greenville Town Hall is located at 154 SW Old Mission Ave., in Greenville.