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Water project takes direct route through county commission
County awards fire services loan to Prosperity Bank.
By MICHAEL MITSEFF
mmitseff@lakecityreporter.com
The 2008 Fire Services Capital Loan financing proposal was awarded to low bidder Prosperity Bank for its 20-year 4.29 percent fixed rate loan.
Only fixed rate proposals were considered by county staff, County Manager Dale Williams said at Tuesday’s meeting of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners.
Also, the Ellisville Utility Project committee appointed by the board of county commissioners recommended to the board the shortest distribution route that would quickly establish a customer base for its water project.
“What we are doing now is getting to the service area in the shortest route,” said committee member Dist. 3 Commissioner Jody DuPree. “Then we are also bringing in a service area that includes the northside of I-75 — that way we can get service to the most people in the shortest amount of route.”
The route for the distribution lines would immediately supply water to the residents on the northside and southside of Interstate 75.
“My recommendation to this board is before they go any further with any awards that we do a new cost Pro Forma,” Williams said. “There are a number of options for running the distribution lines and they each have pros and cons, so we’ll make sure that the cost estimates are as accurate as possible as it relates to all of the options.”
The cost analysis is needed because depending on the routes chosen there has to be a pay back of the loan to construct the project, Williams said, adding that the economy has changed drastically since the original cost analysis was done.
“When you apply the cost analysis to each of the distribution options — how does it look today as compared to how it looked in 2006?”
The board requested all the numbers updated and presented at its Jan. 15 meeting to see if the project now has some cost in it that exceeds what was originally expected and, if so, does it need to be scaled back? Williams said.
In other business, a request from Columbia County Fire Chief Tres Atkinson to change an earlier request for the purchase of a ladder truck for $477,458 and a service unit for $154,000 was approved by the board.
Atkinson said in a letter to the board that he instead would like to purchase two four-door custom pumper/tankers that would better suit CCFD operations.
Atkinson said that if the county placed the order before Dec. 31, it would save $45,912 when purchased through the Florida sheriff’s office association.
In other business, Waste Pro requested from the county a Consumer Price Index increase and a Fuel Adjustment Request.
Williams said that Waste Pro is entitled to a Consumer Price Index adjustment on its rate because it’s in the contract.
The board decided to postpone its decision until its Jan. 15 meeting, but it denied Waste Pro’s request for a fuel rate adjustment.
Waste Pro also requested that it be allowed to dispose of refuse from Hamilton County in the Winfield Solid Waste Facility, but the board denied its request.
Also, the board approved the text amendment revising Article 8 of the Flood Damage Prevention Regulations of the county’s Land Development Regulations pertaining to the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map.
The minor revisions will allow the residents to continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, Williams said.
Only fixed rate proposals were considered by county staff, County Manager Dale Williams said at Tuesday’s meeting of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners.
Also, the Ellisville Utility Project committee appointed by the board of county commissioners recommended to the board the shortest distribution route that would quickly establish a customer base for its water project.
“What we are doing now is getting to the service area in the shortest route,” said committee member Dist. 3 Commissioner Jody DuPree. “Then we are also bringing in a service area that includes the northside of I-75 — that way we can get service to the most people in the shortest amount of route.”
The route for the distribution lines would immediately supply water to the residents on the northside and southside of Interstate 75.
“My recommendation to this board is before they go any further with any awards that we do a new cost Pro Forma,” Williams said. “There are a number of options for running the distribution lines and they each have pros and cons, so we’ll make sure that the cost estimates are as accurate as possible as it relates to all of the options.”
The cost analysis is needed because depending on the routes chosen there has to be a pay back of the loan to construct the project, Williams said, adding that the economy has changed drastically since the original cost analysis was done.
“When you apply the cost analysis to each of the distribution options — how does it look today as compared to how it looked in 2006?”
The board requested all the numbers updated and presented at its Jan. 15 meeting to see if the project now has some cost in it that exceeds what was originally expected and, if so, does it need to be scaled back? Williams said.
In other business, a request from Columbia County Fire Chief Tres Atkinson to change an earlier request for the purchase of a ladder truck for $477,458 and a service unit for $154,000 was approved by the board.
Atkinson said in a letter to the board that he instead would like to purchase two four-door custom pumper/tankers that would better suit CCFD operations.
Atkinson said that if the county placed the order before Dec. 31, it would save $45,912 when purchased through the Florida sheriff’s office association.
In other business, Waste Pro requested from the county a Consumer Price Index increase and a Fuel Adjustment Request.
Williams said that Waste Pro is entitled to a Consumer Price Index adjustment on its rate because it’s in the contract.
The board decided to postpone its decision until its Jan. 15 meeting, but it denied Waste Pro’s request for a fuel rate adjustment.
Waste Pro also requested that it be allowed to dispose of refuse from Hamilton County in the Winfield Solid Waste Facility, but the board denied its request.
Also, the board approved the text amendment revising Article 8 of the Flood Damage Prevention Regulations of the county’s Land Development Regulations pertaining to the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map.
The minor revisions will allow the residents to continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, Williams said.
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Willie Makit wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:52 AM: