Stormwater upgrades in downtown Macon projected to cost $30 million

A study will determine the extent of the stormwater problems throughout Bibb County that includes at least $30 million worth of needs in downtown Macon.

The assessment that's being performed by the Macon Water Authority will determine how much it will cost to upgrade an aging infrastructure that county leaders say is in serious need of addressing. The study, which should take about 150 days to complete, also will detail a five-year strategic plan and possible methods for paying for the improvements.

Officials realized the depth of the problem in downtown Macon over the past year as work on the Second Street Corridor project was underway, said Clay Murphey, who supervises Macon-Bibb projects that involve special taxes.

He estimated that at least $30 million in stormwater improvements are needed downtown.

"When we started Second Street, we saw things we didn't know were there, and it was like "Holy smokes, what have we gotten into?'" Murphey said during Tuesday's Macon-Bibb County Commission meetings.

New federal stormwater mandates are coming down at the same time Macon's brick culverts have begun collapsing and some metal pipes have rusted to the point where they have caused sinkholes, Mayor Robert Reichert said.

"As we approach our 200-year anniversary, we have some stormwater infrastructure that was put in 150 years ago," he said.

Some of the costs for recent stormwater improvements have been covered through the voter-approved special purpose local option sales tax. While another round of SPLOST money would been advantageous, other avenues of funding will be needed, said Tony Rojas, executive director of the Macon Water Authority.

"I think we'll find out it will cost more than we can bite off at one time," he said.

Eventually, they goal is for there to be a sustainable way to fund stormwater equipment, which has a "profound impact on the quality of life and economic propriety" of communities, Rojas said.

"It's the kind of thing you can't neglect over decades and have it out of sight and out of mind," he said.

BOARD SEEKS FUNDS FOR EARLY VOTING LOCATION

The Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections is asking for $31,750 to be used for a second early voting location that could be set up as early as this year.

The request for the money drew approval from a Macon-Bibb County Commission committee as another option to hold advance voting beyond the elections office is sought. Two of the locations mentioned Tuesday were the Macon Coliseum's Monument Room and the Terminal Station.

COMMITTEE APPROVES BUYING RECYCLING BINS

Macon residents interested in getting a recycling container could have a better chance of receiving one within the next few months.

The commission's Operations and Finance Committee approved Tuesday spending about $141,000 to buy another 3,456 recycling containers that will be given to residents. The request comes because of the large number of people who have been asking for new recycling containers, said Macon-Bibb County Solid Waste Director Kevin Barkley.

The county has had 1,800 requests since late last year and has delivered more than 1,200 bins to residents.

The commission is expected to vote on the proposal next week.

The rate that the requests have come in shows "how much (residents) have embraced it and accepted it," Barkley said. "They realize we are serious about recycling."

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Stormwater upgrades in downtown Macon projected to cost $30 million ."