Friday, May 23, 2003
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Friday, May 23, 2003 |
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TDK delay: Who pays for added engineering costs? By J. FRANK LYNCH
Plans for the extension of TDK Boulevard across Line Creek and into Coweta County are "90 percent complete" but have sat unfinished since late March because of a disagreement between Fayette County and Peachtree City over who should pay for engineering cost overruns. Construction of the road as proposed would require the blasting of rock from Line Creek, a prospect that could cost the county an additional $180,000 but could be avoided altogether if the design of the bridge is elevated. But redesigning the bridge at this stage, city engineer Troy Besseche said, will cost an additional $63,000, an amount the city has said it simply cannot afford and will not pay, even though a Feb. 9 financial agreement to build the road required that the city pay all engineering costs and the county governments share in the construction costs. "The county will have saved $180,000 by having the city pay an additional $63,000," said Besseche, who estimated Peachtree City has already shelled out in excess of $300,000 on the project. But County Commissioner Greg Dunn said the added engineering costs are down to $30,000 and doesn't see this as a squabble between Peachtree City and the county. "We have a signed intergovernmental agreement with Peachtree City saying they're going to pay for that engineering," Dunn said. Dunn said if Peachtree City has a problem with the agreement, city officials should have asked to amend the agreement. The county asked the city to look into redesigning the bridge so the approaches on both sides are higher, and thus clear the rock below, Besseche said. "We told them what the cost change was, but they said they weren't paying that," said Besseche. Lee Hearn, Fayette County public works director, said the wording in the contract between the two governments leaves no doubt to who is responsible. "In the intergovernmental agreement, it was clear that they (Peachtree City) were responsible for all the engineering funding," Hearn said. "It's just unfortunate it has taken this long to get going on the project." Peachtree City has no logical reasons for delaying the extension, Hearn pointed out, since the city will benefit greatly and is getting a good deal financially. But in the meantime, while each side waited for the other to blink, the drawings have been gathering dust in the engineering department at Peachtree City Hall for nearly two months. Coweta County engineers, meanwhile, continue with right-of-way and easement work on its side of Line Creek, Besseche said. So far, the debate over who should ante up has not gone higher than the staff level, said Colin Halterman, who on Monday returned to his job as head of the city's public services department after an eight-month stint as acting city manager. But the question of whether or not the city should or can pay the $63,000 will likely be on the June 5 City Council agenda, he said. The delay is a sticky issue for some members of the business community, who see the Coweta-Fayette link as vital to bringing any new businesses into the industrial park. Many of Peachtree City's industrial workers live in Coweta, and traffic conditions on Ga. Highway 54 at rush hour are near gridlock now. TDK Boulevard proponents are also eager to have that route open and new commuter habits established before work is completed on widening Hwy. 54, which is still about two to three years off. Some have accused Mayor Steve Brown of stalling the project. In a letter to County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn dated April 28, Brown says that the final plans for the road "will meet the criteria of our agreement. It must be noted that should you wish to make changes or amend those plans for any reason, it will be at your expense." Brown has butted heads with the Chamber of Commerce and the Peachtree City Development Authority in recent months and was perceived as an opponent of the extension in the early going. But city staff say he has no greater role in the present stalemate. "Not true," said new City Manager Bernard J. McMullen. Besseche said the financial haggling is what's holding up the road, plain and simple, and not "one person ... We're trying to do it in a way that it won't waste city funds," he said. While each side waited for the other to blink, the drawings have been gathering dust in the engineering department at Peachtree City Hall for nearly two months. Coweta County engineers, meanwhile, continue with right-of-way and easement work on its side of Line Creek, Besseche said. So far, the debate over who should ante up has not gone higher than the staff level, said Colin Halterman, who on Monday returned to his job as head of the city's public services department after an eight-month stint as acting city manager. But the question of whether or not the city should or can pay the $63,000 will likely be on the June 5 City Council agenda, he said. The delay is a sticky issue for some members of the business community, who see the Coweta-Fayette link as vital to bringing any new businesses into the industrial park. Many of Peachtree City's industrial workers live in Coweta, and traffic conditions on Ga. Highway 54 at rush hour are near gridlock now.established before work is completed on widening Hwy. 54, which is still about two to three years off. Some have accused Mayor Steve Brown of stalling the project. In a letter to County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn dated April 28, Brown says that the final plans for the road "will meet the criteria of our agreement. It must be noted that should you wish to make changes or amend those plans for any reason, it will be at your expense." Brown has butted heads with the Chamber of Commerce and the Peachtree City Development Authority in recent months and was perceived as an opponent of the extension in the early going. But city staff say he has no greater role in the present stalemate. "Not true," said new City Manager Bernard J. McMullen. Besseche said the financial haggling is what's holding up the road, plain and simple, and not "one person ... We're trying to do it in a way that it won't waste city funds," he said.
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