City OKs dam repairs

Area News

November 24, 2009

By Jim Young / jimyoungreporter@gmail.com The Crossville Chronicle Tue Nov 24, 2009, 12:00 PM CST

In a short special-called meeting Thursday, the Crossville City Council approved a bid for repair of the Caryonah dam but still could have some potential problems with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to clear up before moving forward.

The council approved the low bid for the dam repair recommended by engineer Robert Stigall. The low bid totaled $468,509 by Plateau Excavating of Austell Georgia. Stigall also recommended that the city not issue a notice to proceed until proper approval is received from the Tennessee Division of Water Pollution Control.

The bid is to remove the top portion of the dam, spread the soil to dry and then rebuild the dam to its specifications. Both the city and their engineering firm are concerned about making sure they have approval for the repair and reconstruction of the dam before they start work on it.

Crossville Mayor J.H. Graham III commented during the Caryonah dam repair discussion that an article published in the Crossville Chronicle earlier this month outlining the city's frustration over dealing with TDEC problems came to the attention of Paul Sloan, the director of the TDEC Division of Environment. Graham reported that he had received an email from Director Sloane saying he had seen the article and wanted to help.

Graham read from the email, “I wanted to offer my guidance or discussions that would be helpful to you to understand where the department is on this issue.” Graham said that Sloan had offered to put a meeting together and Graham had emailed back requesting him to set a meeting of those involved to try and get the matters resolved.

At the previous meeting the council had discussed that the city felt caught between two branches of TDEC giving opposing incompatible directions. In the discussion, it was pointed out that currently the city is pumping water out of the lake to keep the level down as required by the Safe Dams division when it rains and that was continuing to cause sediment downstream that was a problem for the water pollution control department.

Graham said he hoped to get a meeting of all the parties involved arranged before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The issue of sediment in the creek below the dam was also discussed. It was explained by city engineer Tom Wolf that when the contractor takes over they will be responsible for the pumping of water from the lake that has been costing the city some $10,000 a month. In addition the contractor will be responsible for erosion control once they are on the job.

The council also approved a slight change in the route of the Northwest Connector that will avoid property belonging to Mountain Farm International. The right of way needed through the area would have been very expensive if the route stayed as initially planned. The new route appears that it will save taxpayers some $300,000.

The initial route would have followed the existing Northside Drive and widened it but because of the cost of securing the right of way needed the route change was approved to leave Northside drive and go to the north of the existing road to cross Highway 70 near the Flea Market. While there will be additional engineering costs to change the route, because the right of way will be donated the overall savings will result.

Under the consent agenda the council approved second readings of three annexation ordinances and approved a retirement payment to Donald Threet who will be retiring from the Police Department on Dec. 5. The payment is for unused vacation time and an early retirement bonus.

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