Tag: Doko Meadows

BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council held a budget workshop Monday night, but only a small portion of the meeting was devoted to discussing budget items. Town Administrator John Perry gave a quick overview of expenditures for personnel and introduced a new Enterprise Fund, which he created to maintain and operate the Doko Meadows during fiscal year 2014 (FY14).

The FY14 operational budget for Doko Meadows (the Park), including the Doko Manor, is $82,000. According to a handout passed out by Perry during the meeting, that amount will be offset by a $62,000 revenue stream he expects from rental of the Doko Manor facility and a $20,000 stabilization contribution (or sinking fund) from the Town’s Hospitality Tax and the Local Accommodations Tax Funds.

The Enterprise Fund focuses on activities and functions, Perry said. Under Program/Oversight, Perry allocated $10,000 (that will be supplemented by other, additional funds) for the Events Conference Center Director Martha Jones and $20,000 for a full-time Accommodations Manager. Another $8,000 was allocated to the keeping of the grounds; $22,000 for general maintenance of the building and $22,000 for utilities.

Perry’s chart of expenditures for personnel under the FY14 budget showed an increase of $8,000 for the Mayor’s salary and expenses, from $16,000 a year to $24,000 a year. Council’s collective annual salary and expenses are expected to go from $40,000 to $50,000 and staff salaries and benefits are expected to go from $400,000 to $424,000, an increase of $24,000. Millage will remain at $8,000. Training, travel and expense is budgeted to remain at $12,000.

Overall, according to Perry, the Town is reducing its employed staff in favor of more outsourcing.

Councilman Ed Garrison stressed that he hoped they still have someone to answer phones when the public calls. Mayor J. Michael Ross assured Garrison, saying, “We have brought in a young man who works in the Cobblestone Park Pro Shop to answer phones on a temporary schedule.” Ross said he was hired on an hourly basis.

Prior to discussing the budget, Council voted to replace the Town’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) consultant, Ralph Walden, with architect Matt Davis who does design/build. Davis has sat in on a couple of ARB meetings in the past when Walden made presentations to the ARB that he (Walden) had worked on for the Town for compensation.

Council also unanimously passed first reading for zoning on two properties on Sandfield Road. They voted to zone a 1-acre property at 525 Sandfield Road from RU (Rural District) in the county to NC (Neighborhood Commercial) in the town. They also voted to zone an adjoining 6.4-acre property at the same address from (RU) in the county to (RU) in the town. Both properties had been annexed into the town in 2009, but were never given final zoning by Council until now.

Council also passed first reading to allow D. R. Horton Builders to reduce by 2 feet the minimum side building set-backs for up to 115 lots in the new Primrose section of The Farm in Cobblestone Park. The builder said this would allow a larger footprint to accommodate ranch style homes designed for senior accessibility.

Council then entered executive session to discuss employment matters related to an employee and matters relating to the proposed location, expansion or the provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body. No vote was taken when they came out of executive session.

After five months and many delays, the mayor’s six-member ad hoc park committee has made a single recommendation to Town Council for alternative ways the $5.5 million bond money should be spent on Phase I of the town park.

In a presentation to Council, Tom Utroska, chairman of the committee, said the committee recommended building two restroom facilities in the park instead of installing:

1) A fountain (including equipment) in the formal garden adjacent to the proposed Depot building and

2) A portion of the operating equipment for the sprayground fountain proposed adjacent to the playground area. However, all drain and supply lines for connecting the sprayground to that equipment in the future and the installation of a finished colored concrete sprayground slab with all necessary piping for the sprayground will be installed as previously planned.

According to Town Councilman Paul Moscati, who serves as the Town’s construction consultant on the project, the total amount of credits from those portions of the fountain and sprayground will free up enough construction money for the Town to build two restroom facilities near the playground area, though no playground equipment is now budgeted in the $5.5 million.

Since the ad hoc committee began meeting last February, Utroska has asked Moscati for a list of what is and what is not included in the original $5.5 million spent on the park (This portion of the park is now referred to by town officials as Phase I). Moscati finally gave the list (see below) to the committee at their June 19 meeting.

Utroska said the committee would be willing to continue to prioritize items for the park that are currently not included in the $5.5 million construction spending. Additional construction would require additional funding sources.

What’s in & What’s out?

What IS and  IS NOT included in the original $5.5 million park construction bond:

INCLUDED

A. Horizontal Construction by Conder Construction Company

1.) All surveying and layout

2)  All silt fencing, erosion control and storm water management

3)  All clearing and grubbing

4)  All rough and fine grading

5) All domestic and fire, water and sewer services

6) Replacement sewer lift station and force main

7) Demobilization of existing sewer lift station

8) All underground storm drainage

9) Low Impact Design storm drainage systems:

     • Infiltration trenches

     • Bio-infiltration basins

     • Littoral plant shelves (at lake)

    • Grass pavers

10) All standing and flush concrete curbs

11) All grassed dirt building pads (no concrete pads and no structures included) for the following:

      • Open Air Pavilion

      • Adventure Center

      • Amphitheater & Buildings

      • Clock Tower & Sprayground

12) Lake excavation, dam and outfall piping

13) All temporary grassing (no permanent grass included)

14) Portion of landscaping and irrigation

15) Fountain and sprayground

16) Construction of dock and pier at lake

17) Installation of pervious pavers

18) All base material for roads, parking

19) First layer of asphalt paving on roads

20) Nature trail

21) Parking lot lighting (provided by Fairfield Electric)

22) Power distribution (by Fairfield Electric)

23) Concrete dumpster pads, aprons and bollards

24) Perimeter fencing

25) Underground sleeves

26) SCDOT road improvements at entrances

27) Demolition of existing structures

B. Vertical Construction by Monroe Construction Company

1) Doko Manor

    • 500 linear feet of sidewalks

    • Back concrete deck and arbor

 

NOT INCLUDED  (would require additional funding)

A. Horizontal Construction by Conder Construction Company

1) Miscellaneous infiltration trenches at formal garden

2) Final lift of asphalt

3) Remainder of landscaping and irrigation

4) Site signage, internal and public wayfaring signage

5) Emergency call boxes

6) Garden paths at formal gardens

7) ADA ramps

8) Wheel stops

B. Vertical Construction by Monroe Construction Company

1) Depot

2) Open Air Pavilion

3) Adventure Center

4) Clock Tower

5) Playground Restrooms

6) Amphitheater buildings

7) Arbor

8) Shelter structures

9) Skate Park

10) Light bollards for nature trail

11) Dumpster enclosures

12) Entrance gates

13) Sidewalks

14) Fences at playground and amphitheater

15) Radial stone wall at sprayground

16) All trash receptacles and benches

17) Pour-In-Place playground surfacing

18) Wood fiber mulch at playground

19) Playground equipment

20) Concrete floor under arbor