Vienna officials talk about parks plan and infrastructure overview | News, Sports, Jobs

Jim Christie, Director of Civil & Environmental Consultants, presents the Vienna Parks Master Plan at the Vienna City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)

VIENNA – Civil & Environmental Consultants presented a master plan for parks, and Burgess & Niple presented an overview of infrastructure at Vienna’s city council meeting on Thursday.

Jim Christie, director of Civil & Environmental Consultants, presented a digital project flipbook that explained the changes Vienna citizens have suggested or requested overtime be implemented in city parks. Christie said the flipbook will be sent to council for posting on the city’s website once the plan is finalized.

“We have made several trips here, we have a lot of interaction with the public”, he said. “We’re looking at it with this new vision, but we’re listening to everything we change.”

He said the company is focused on McDonough Wildlife Refuge, Jackson Memorial Park, Spencer Park, Spencer’s Landing and the 12th Street property. Christie said Spencer’s Landing offered incredible opportunities. He talked about revamping the parking lot, a drop-off area, a fresh water launch area, an outdoor food court, concessions, a wading pool, a playground , the Gold Star Families Memorial movement, a fishing pier and an auditorium. , among others.

Christie also discussed three pool designs for Jackson Pool which included cabanas, slides, water climbing walls, soft-launch floating play elements, baby pools and wading pools. The third design was to move the pool below its current location to the flat area near Pond Run and turn the community center into a parking lot. Christie said this would allow the existing pool to remain open over the summer while the new one is built. Christie said the next step is to talk to council and the board about their project priorities.

Council member Tom Azinger asks questions during the infrastructure preview at the Vienna City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)

Craig Richards, Director of Engineering Services at Burgess & Niple, gave a presentation on the five-year plan for Vienna and the water, sewer and pond projects being considered.

Richards said the major sewer projects are Mains Rehabilitation and Replacement, 11th Avenue Sewer Replacement, Woodland Heights Sewer Replacement, 12th Street Sewer Replacement and the Mainline to Parkersburg. for an estimated total construction cost of $7.93 million. He said the major water projects are Wells 9 and 10, Small Diameter Replacements, Major Reinforcements and the 20th Street Booster Station at an estimated total construction cost of $3.15 million. He said the main pond projects were Pond Run, Glenbrook Pond and Greenmont Ponds with an estimated total construction cost of $960,000.

Craig Metz, Director of Public Works, said they had been working on this study for about 15 years.

“Once we have borrowed the money, you have to raise the rates”, he said.

Council Member Tom Azinger asked what the rough estimate would be to complete all of the listed projects. Metz said it all on the “drawing-board,” and the five-year plan would cost $15 million or more.

Richards said the next step is for the utility board to decide what to do with the projects, whether that means grouping them together and doing them all at once, or dividing them into phases.

Metz said all of the projects are important, but Parkersburg’s main strength and 12th Street sewer replacement are the most significant sewer projects and would help alleviate some of the overflow issues.

Mayor Randall Rapp said the city is exploring grants, bonds and rate increases to see what’s the best option for receiving or borrowing funds for the projects. Rapp also said council needs to keep tabs on Senate Bill 132, which seeks to eliminate the business and professional tax for municipalities. Rapp said Vienna was very wealthy in retail and raked in $2.8 million from its B&O taxes each year, and losing that would hurt the city budget.

“It will be devastating for all the cities that participate in this program,” Rapp said.

The board approved the resolution to establish the process for selecting a temporary board member, the board decided that the candidates would all be interviewed at the same meeting, and one would be sworn in that evening. The meeting to temporarily fill the vacancy on the board will be at 6:00 p.m. on February 1. Council made an amendment to indicate that all nominations must be received at the Municipal Building by January 28 to be eligible for nomination.

In other cases:

* The Board approved offers from the Parks Department of Matheny Motors for a 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 4WD for $36,142 and a 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 4WD with dump body and plow for $78,496.

* The council approved the revision of the internal budget of the general fund to cover the cost of the alarm system for the fire department.

* The Board approved the resolution authorizing the Vienna Public Utilities Board to approve and authorize the preparation of the TOR for the engineering design of 45th Place.

* The board approved the resolution declaring a vacancy on the board.

James Dobbs can be contacted at [email protected]