Another step toward Union Road upgrades
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen added to services Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers will provide to the Town on the Union Road improvements project.
The Board voted 3-1 to supplement he firm’s services — by acquiring right-of-way and easement costs on the project — during its meeting Thursday, Oct. 27. The additional services are not to exceed $23,400 without the Board and the consulting firm agreeing to any amount beyond that figure.
While Alderman Drew Burnette was absent, Alderman David White voted against the motion while Alderman Scott Meyer, Mayor Ron Williams and Vice Mayor Louise Povlin voted in favor of it.
“A few months back, we acquired the services of Vaughn & Melton on the Union Road project,” Town engineer Darryl Smith said.
“The agreement outlines their anticipated efforts necessary to acquire right-of-way easements for construction of improvements to Union Road, from Hobbs Road to Everett Road,” he added. “Since that time, title searches have been completed and appraisal work is under way.
“Vaughn & Melton has requested we provide staking of ROW and easements to accurately depict impacts to each property within the limits of the project. These services are normally provided by the designers of the project — in this case our designers are Kimley Horn — but the scope of the services in our agreement did not include staking.
Vaughn & Melton “is a well-qualified engineering firm and can easily provide the services as part of their agreement for ROW acquisitions,” Smith said. “Vaughn & Melton will bill their work on an hourly basis, with a ‘not to exceed’ fee of $23,400.
“This amount will be charged to the ROW phase of the project, which is funded through local and Surface Transportation Block Grants funding with a 20/80 split of local and federal dollars,” he added.
White questioned a letter from Vaughn & Melton regarding to the agreed-upon cost.
“You’re asking us to pay $23,400, but their letter is not saying that,” he said. “You better indicate (the $23,400) is fixed.”
“If (the cost) runs up, they are supposed to stop and come back to Darryl and present their case,” Williams said.
”(Amount) should be fixed in the beginning,” White said.
In other business, the Board voted unanimously to establish a post-retirement benefits plan for its employees and establish an investment trust to pre-fund other post-employment benefits.
• Appoint Mark Grenier, director of TopGolf, to its Tourism and Visitor Advisory Committee, filling a vacant seat as an attraction representative.
• Approve an interlocal agreement between the Town, Knox County, City of Knoxville and Joint Economic Community Development Board of Knox County.
• Approve a 2023-07 contract for bids to the lowest bid, $12,639.90, from Landscape Design Works to plant trees in the Town’s parks and other public spaces.
