The Southern Solution project is, “not quite as old as that tree you just saw,” jested Snowflake Town Manager Paul Watson, referring to the 100-year old tree that is one of 11 “State Witness Trees” as he introduced Rob Toy, engineer on the project.
Toy and Chris Stevens were present at the April 24 Snowflake Town Council meeting to summarize the Southern Solution, which Toy described in the beginning of the project as, “Something people said couldn’t be done.” Toy showed a map of the completed project, which will be broken into three “reaches.”
Two bids were received for construction of reach one and a value engineering analysis was performed with the low bidder, Show Low Construction.
Toy said that this contract represents agreements between the contractor, the town, and federal and state partners as part of the Southern Solution Master Drainage Plan “to take the industrial park out of the floodplain.” He explained that the location of the industrial park in the floodplain constrains the town as to what it can permit, keeping people from moving into the industrial park due to expensive insurance and legal issues.
“It’s unique because of the 14 partners we have; it is being looked at 14 different ways,” said Toy, noting there are partners that include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Eurofresh and Navajo County, among others.
Requests for bids were put out for reaches one and two, and the low bid came from Show Low Construction.
“We are very fortunate to have a local contractor,” Toy said. “We believe this gives us the opportunity to construct the two basin features that have the most impact.”
They hope to finish major construction before monsoon season.
The town received $952,000 in funding from FEMA for the construction of reach one, with an additional $600,000 in matching funds provided by Navajo County. To date, approximately $500,000 has been spent on permits, agency review, design and grant acquisition/administration.
There is not a definite figure on the town’s portion, but Finance Director Brian Richards said that for several years they have had $300,000 in the budget for this project.
Toy said that he talked with ADOT officials, which is strapped for money, about working with them to eliminate items that are not needed for the project.
The town received notification from the Arizona Department of Emergency Management and FEMA that reaches two and three have been selected for possible funding. FEMA is considering providing 75 percent of the estimated $2.1 million to construct reaches two and three, which are the final phases of the Southern Solution. Construction of the first components of the Southern Solution is a pre-requisite to receiving funding for the other two reaches. Toy noted that each reach can stand on its own.
Toy is working with ADOT to have both under culvert crossings constructed at the same time, which would result in cost savings.
The council approved awarding the construction contract in the amount of $1,073,863.84 to Show Low Construction, as the low bidder, for construction of Basins 1A, 1B, channelization and Apache Railway Crossing, using funding provided by FEMA, Navajo County and the town, and asked staff to proceed with construction at the earliest possible time.
