By Eric Curl
Aug. 8, 2024 – The Savannah City Council unanimously approved a $300,000 contract with Alpharetta-based Stantec Consulting to conduct a stormwater utility implementation study on Thursday. The stormwater fee is being considered as a way to help cover the costs of maintaining drainage infrastructure, as recently reported.
During a workshop before the regular meeting, Mayor Van Johnson said that the fee would be important in getting the city where it needs to be in terms of improving the city’s drainage infrastructure and alleviating flooding.
“We will never get to where we need to be playing small ball,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, we have to have a consistent funding source in terms of a utility.”
The council’s vote came at the recommendation of City Manager Jay Melder, who noted stormwater infrastructure is currently funded primarily by the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and property tax revenues.
“We need to think more seriously about how we get a dedicated stream of revenue to fund the infrastructure and maintenance we are going to need in our stormwater management systems,” Melder said while recapping the city’s response to Tropical Storm Debby. “These 500-year-flood events, these 100-year-flood events are happening much more frequently than 100 years and 500 years, and we need to be prepared for that as a coastal city,”
In addition, the city council approved a $100,000 contract with Columbus, Ohio-based Designing Local for a public art master plan to provide a citywide vision and process for public art in public parks and city facilities.
Melder noted that while no local vendors submitted a project proposal, the company chosen does have “ties with” local vendors, as reported by Connect Savannah.
The project is expected to take 9-12 months.
Savannah’s new arena operator reports financials for second year, cited in DOJ lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster
June 5, 2024 – The city of Savannah’s Enmarket Arena has been operating for about 2.5 years after holding its first event in February 2022. Per the conditions of their operating agreement, Oak View Group (OVG) recently provided the city with an independent audit reporting how business is going at the $148-million project funded by voter-approved sales-tax revenue.
The Enmarket Arena is profitable, which is more than you can say for the Civic Center it replaced. However, revenue was down last year, the venue’s first full year in business. Also, OVG is getting some negative attention from the federal government. While not named as a defendant, the venue management company was recently described as a colluder in a US Dept. of Justice lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Still, the arena operator and city do not seem concerned about the venue’s prospects or lawsuit, according to their responses to media inquiries from Savannah Agenda.
As water demand grows, Tybee looking to tap into Savannah’s system
May 27, 2024 – Tybee Island is seeking a less expensive way to meet its growing water demand and ensure groundwater withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer do not exceed permitted limits. Read more>
City looking to make manufacturers pay for “forever chemicals” removal
May 25, 2024 – The city of Savannah is preparing to take legal action against manufacturers of “forever chemicals” threatening the sustainability of the region’s drinking water. Read more>
Chatham’s proposed budget establishes county-run fire department
May 24, 2024 – Chatham County officials plan to establish a county-run fire department this summer by transitioning fire services personnel, equipment and fire stations from the current nonprofit provider. Read more>
Chatham County selects site for indoor sports complex, but funding still in question
May 12, 2024 – Chatham County Commissioners approved a location for an indoor recreation complex on Friday. Now they just have to come up with an additional $38 million to pay for the estimated $55 million facility. Read more>
City considering stormwater fee to maintain drainage infrastructure
May 5, 2024 – The city is resurrecting a plan to maintain drainage infrastructure by implementing a stormwater utility fee after the idea was seemingly abandoned about five years ago.
The age of the city’s infrastructure exceeds 100 years in many cases and maintenance needs are extensive, according to a request for proposals issued last week, and the fee is being considered to meet those needs. Read more>
City on track to spend up to $5.4M for rented space following sale of municipal building, other properties
April 28, 2024 – Indecision and inconsistency is proving to be costly to the city as it attempts to address an office space shortage it created.
The city is now set to spend between $3 million to $5.4 million on leased space used to accommodate departments relocated from a downtown building the city sold for $4.5 million in 2019 – one of multiple real estate deals around that time that contributed to the need for rented space. Read more>
City approves fairgrounds deal for almost 400 affordable homes, apts
April 26, 2024 – The Savannah City Council approved a development agreement on Thursday that is ultimately expected to lead to almost 400 affordable homes and apartments at the 65-acre former fairgrounds site the city acquired in 2016.
As amended on Thursday, the first phase of the five-phase development at 4801 Meding St. now includes 30 single-family homes and 20 attached townhome units. The phase is to be developed and completed within 12 months after the developer acquires that portion the site, which is expected to occur by June 30. Read more>
City seeking to “set a vision” for future of public art
April 2, 2024 – With murals, sculptures and monuments primarily located downtown, the city is looking to provide more arts and cultural opportunities throughout the broader community.
To that end, the city is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide professional services to develop a public art master plan and ordinance. The purpose of the plan is to set a long-term vision will provide clear direction for the future of public art in the city, according to the request for proposals (RFP).
The plan will include a well-defined vision and unifying brand for public art in Savannah and provide a menu of themes or project types that are a priority for stakeholders and residents, a general process by which artists are commissioned and selected, standards for maintenance and upkeep, and a process for prioritizing an annual plan of work each year, the RFP states The project is expected to take 9-12 months once a contract has been awarded.
The RFP comes as the city and more commercial businesses are embracing art as a way to beautify their properties, including the owner of the Victory Square shopping center, where local artist Brian MacGregor recently painted a series of colorful murals, as reported by Rob Hessler for Savannah Morning News.
Proposals are being accepted by the city until April 11.
The city is also looking to assess the condition of its existing monuments, as described in a seperate contractor solicitation. Landmark Preservation was recently hired to inspect 34 monuments and provide recommendations for repairs and maintenance.
City planning underground garage next to Forsyth Park as part of private office complex
March 24, 2024 – The city is planning to partner with a development group to build an underground garage west of Forsyth Park’s south end in conjunction with the construction of a private office complex at the site.
The city would issue bonds through the Savannah Economic Development Authority to fund a 3-level underground garage with 450 spaces, according to the agreement being considered by the Savannah City Council on Thursday (Update: The agreement was approved.) 350 of the spaces would be allocated to the building’s tenants during business hours, while 100 spaces would be reserved for public use. All of the spaces would be publicly available after business hours and on the weekend.
The bonds would be paid off with parking fees paid by the building’s tenants and public users, in addition to increased property tax revenue generated by the office complex. Read more>
Chatham County seeking construction contractor for public safety complex, despite failed grant attempt
The county recently requested bids to construct the facility, about nine months after submitting a $20 million grant application to the US Department of defense for the project. Unfortunately, the application was unsuccessful for the second year in a row and the county is now looking at ways to reduce costs and come up with alternative sources of funding, according to a county spokesperson on Wednesday.
When the grant application was submitted, the county had $53 million set aside for the project from Special Local Option Sales Tax revenue and capital improvement project funds, but the project’s estimated costs had grown to more than $95 million.
Planned for a site at 654 Gulfstream Road, near the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, the 2-story, 83,000-square-foot facility is expected to consist of classrooms, office and administration spaces, a dispatch call center, sleeping units, sally port, bay and dock areas. Bids for the construction contract are due to the county by April 19. Read more>
Foram Group’s East Broad apartment complex plan heading to City Council
March 16, 2024 – The Foram Group is once again proposing to develop a mixed-use complex with residential and commercial space along East Broad and East Gwinnett, following the Metropolitan Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny a similar plan last fall.
The latest proposal is scheduled to go before the Savannah City Council on March 28, when the mayor and council members will consider Foram’s request to rezone nine parcels to construct the complex. (Update: The proposal was postponed to the April 25 meeting.)
Foram is petitioning to establish development and design standards, including allowed uses and parking requirements, for the project area. The buildings would be permitted to be four stories in height and 185 residential units would be allowed within the planned development, under the proposal. Parking would be accommodated in the structure of the building or in an underground parking garage within the property boundaries. Read more>
Hutchinson Island dredging becoming a real drag
March 13, 2024 – On Friday, the Chatham County Commission will consider another contract increase, amounting to $433,000, for the Slip 1 dredging project on Hutchinson Island. (Update: The contract was approved)
The slip, a water harbor east of the Westin Hotel, is being developed as a commercial marina that would serve the 27-acre Savannah Harbor mixed-use development being constructed to the east. More debris was discovered than what had been anticipated and the pending increase comes after the approval of two previous increases, amounting to about $1.3 million, and bringing the revised contract total to more $5.1 million.
Funding of the voter-approved project has proved challenging from the start. The amount of voter-approved sales-tax revenue available for what was originally a $3.36 million dredging contract wasn’t enough to cover the cost of the voter-approved project. As a result, in August 2022, the commission approved using $2.5 million in general funds to supplement the sales-tax revenue. The increase being considered Friday would be paid for using contingency funds set aside for capital improvement projects.
Housing plan
In addition, the commission will consider an agreement with SEDA for Georgia Tech to conduct a regional study of the housing and infrastructure necessary to accommodate anticipated residential and commercial growth.
Read the commission’s full agenda>
Savannah planning property swap with Pooler
At today’s meeting, the Savannah City Council will consider an agreement with Chatham County and the city of Pooler to exchange properties and “allow for more efficient services delivery by government resources for both municipalities”, according to a memo City Manager Jay Melder sent the council on Tuesday.
Three churches currently within Savannah would be swapped with property currently in Pooler adjacent to the Highlands community that cannot be developed to “its highest and best use” without Savannah’s utilities and other services, while the three tax-exempt church properties are proposed to be annexed from Savannah into Pooler where most of the congregations live, and where the church members desire to reside, Melder’s memo states.
Read the council’s full agenda>
Speaking of Pooler: The former city manager has responded to the lawsuit filed by his former employer
Former Pooler City Manager Robert Byrd is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the city against him that questions the legality of his separation agreement.
In his court answer and motion to dismiss, Byrd argues that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case because the city’s complaint for declaratory judgement fails to present a justiciable controversy.
“This is an improper attempt to obtain an advisory opinion regarding issues that have already been resolved,” Byrd’s court response states. “Plaintiff seeks to set aside or terminate a contract it lawfully entered into with the Defendant, and has ratified.”
Byrd also seeks in his court filings to disqualify Pooler City Attorney Craig Call’s law firm, Scheer, Montgomery & Call, as the city’s legal counsel due to the firm’s duel role as “necessary witnesses” in violation of the state rules of professional conduct.
A motion hearing has been scheduled for April 23 regarding the matter.
Last, but not least – The Tybee Island City Council is meeting today, where they will continue to discuss a proposed ordinance meant to reduce the amount of short-term rentals, as described by Savannah Morning News reporter Destini Ambus in her Feb. 27 article.
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