REQUEST
Due to the upcoming retirement of the Erosion Control Administrator, there will be no qualified staff to conduct soil erosion and sedimentation control plan review. Plans of this type are required by local ordinance and state law when grading activity at a development project exceeds one (1) acre. The local program is administered countywide and in all municipalities, except Kannapolis.
In the absence of a program administrator, Staff suggests contracting with two (2) engineering firms to provide plan review and inspection services. Having two (2) firms "on-call" will help to ensure a conflict of interest does not occur should their firm design a project for a private client in Rowan County. Retention of a consultant to perform these services is authorized by Section 18-52(c) of the County's Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance, which states, "Rowan County may elect to retain a consultant or professional services to review an erosion control plan and provide a determination(s) or recommendation(s) as to whether the plan complies with the standards of this chapter and applicable state and federal rules and regulations. Rowan County shall require any consultant(s) to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to hold confidential any proprietary information supplied by the applicant." The entire ordinance is included as an attachment to this memo.
These services will only be necessary until a candidate for the County's program has been hired and able to independently manage the program. It is anticipated these services will be for no more than three (3) months in duration.
RECOMMENDATION
Given the scope and implementation period, these services should be less than the ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) required for receipt of formal bids. Staff has received pricing from several regional firms and based on proximity to Rowan County, recommends the County contract with Alley, Williams, Carmen and King, (AWCK, Inc.) located in Kannapolis and WithersRavenel located in Greensboro for providing erosion control plan review and site inspection services on an "as-needed" basis.
Funding for these services is proposed to be taken from an existing account in the Planning and Development Department's budget and not being passed on to the applicant. No fee increases are proposed at this time.
NECESSARY ACTIONS
- Authorize the County to enter into a contract with AWCK, Inc. and WithersRavenel to provide erosion control plan review services and site inspections on an "as-needed" basis
- Authorize the County Manager to sign said contracts for services
- Authorize funding for these services to be taken from the Consulting Services line item in the Planning and Development budget
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