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Bryant council discusses flooding |
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Monday, 16 February 2009 |
The Bryant City Council learned during a Thursday meeting that a significant obstacle in the way of the city’s project to ease flooding problems may soon be out of the way.
Director of Public Works Richard Penn said a large AT&T cable line that is impeding the start of other projects could soon be moved.
The issue of flooding has long plagued Bryant residents. In January 2007, the city hired FTN and Associates, an environmental consulting firm from Little Rock, to conduct a watershed study in some city neighborhoods.
A final report from FTN determined that the best way to control flooding in certain areas is to replace the box culverts on the Arkansas 5 bridge near Larry’s Pizza. Penn said all the other projects in the plan are impacted by this bridge.
The plan includes building a temporary road around the Arkansas 5 bridge to begin replacing the culverts, but an AT&T service line is hindering the project.
Penn previously told the council that it could take up to three months for construction to begin to move the line, after having already waited three months.
“We have to have their stuff out of the way before we can even have the temporary bypass road,” Penn said previously, “because it goes right over on top of it.”
Mayor Larry Mitchell described the delay as “ridiculous” at a Nov. 26 meeting, a remark that was included in a Courier account. Mitchell told the council on Dec. 11 that AT&T representatives read the story and have told him they moved up the project date.
On Thursday, Penn said AT&T has completed their part in the project.
“They called a couple of days ago and said they’re done,” he announced at the meeting. “We are now waiting on appraisals for easements. It is just a matter of days, I hope, on those appraisals.”
Penn said now they city will send paperwork to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Depart-ment. He said after the AHTD releases the drawings of the construction plans, they will set the project up for bid.
Penn also told the council that FTN recommended $195,000 in funding for storm water drainage improvements for the Meadowlake and Crooked Creek area. Possible changes include cleaning and improving the unnamed tributary of Crooked Creek that flows from the Stoneybrook area in a southeasterly direction past Meadowlake to the UP railroad.
Penn also said the US Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock district issued a permit to the city to begin “implementation of the corrective action plan within 30 days.”
He said FTN has organized the activity into three phases. The activity includes, “placing riprap in the stream along the disturbed banks, sloping the disturbed bank, stabilization of new slope with turf reinforcement mat, planting seed and mulching and grading out soil.”
The $195,00 recommending funding is for phase one of the project. Penn also said use of the street department personnel is included in the funding recommendation. Mayor Larry Mitchell also told the council the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will require the city to do the projects.
“Actually, legally, when ADEQ gets a hold of you, we won’t have much choice,” Mitchell said. “We’ll pretty much have to do it.”
Mitchell said a special meeting would likely be held at the end of February to seek approval of the funding. Councilman Ken Green made a motion to approve Penn to use city equipment to start the work as a city project.
The motion passed with seven yes votes to one no. Alderman Adrian Henley was the lone no vote.
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