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Construction to Pond

9/13/24
Construction Update #2 In our first update, I promised to keep you informed about major events with our pond culvert repair. The contractor, who was the low bidder and met bid invite requirements, resigned from the emergency pond runoff repair. With that event comes our action to also withdraw the award to the same contractor of the original culvert repair. That job was awarded at a level of $45,000.- while the next bidder, out of seven, stood at $94,000. The successful bidder is a small company while the others are bigger firms doing work with the City of Palm Bay. All bidders stated that this urgent repair would be a job at the downturn of the hurricane season not at the beginning. We delayed the start-up of the project and are further delaying startup for obvious reasons. The total dam and run- off failure of the discharge side required immediate action. The board took it and had Ed’s concrete and Culvert start the job which proceeded at an urgent speed. However, major events, Palm Bay having to repair a broken recycled water pipe and a major rainstorm showed the limitations of using a smaller contractor. The job stopped, Palm Bay’s requirements and the work continuation needs, brought the contractor's limitations to the forefront and the contractor resigned yesterday morning, 09/12/24, during a phone call to me. Prior to this contractor’s withdrawal, Mr. Wayne Straley along with Mr. Dave Herbstman and Mr. Tony Stanzione had been observing Elke and I trying to devise a way to get to the run-off block, which was under about 3 feet of water. This system limited the amount of water that could run into the creek. Mr. Straley went home without saying a word, only to return wearing a full body wetsuit. With the help of my diary pictures, he could open the block, standing in the deep water, and brought the water level to where it is this morning. This intervention will provide good runoff and storage of rainwater while keeping the Dawes Road area in a very good position until the repair is complete. Mr. Straley is a general contractor living on the older side of the Vista community doing urgent relief work for the newer side! See you next time under better circumstances. 

Juergen Luebker

Update One September 9, 2024
A few days ago our contractor, Ed’s Concrete and Culvert, hired by the Board to do the emergency pond culvert pipe replacement, encountered a very difficult situation. Ed  found two(2) rather large water pipes, each around 14” in diameter. The underground pipes run along the east side of the canal. The upper pipe is a sewer line while the lower one is reclaimed water. Both are City of Palm Bay property.

While manipulating the large bucket of the backhoe to install the second line of our drain culvert, the lower  pipe broke in the middle. The City of Palm Bay had to be called for an emergency repair. The reclaimed water pipe received a replacement section held in place by couplings. This makes the reclaimed water pipe very vulnerable to lifting, hitting and/or moving. Our remaining two culvert pipes that need to be placed will definitely touch the repaired pipe hence Palm Bay has issued a stop work order.

As new supports for the reclaimed water pipe have to be built, installed and approved by Palm Bay, at this point there will be no ongoing construction. Heavy rains are forecast for the next week or so therefore the contractor, Ed’s Concrete and Culvert, returned the backhoe to the rental company until its need is again required. 

As an aside, the broken reclaimed water pipe rested on our old culvert drain line and its removal made things complicated.

You may have seen another crew, in yellow jackets; they are Palm Bay’s employees and they were working for the ‘Locate’ department. Flags and spray paint have  been applied to label underground utilities.

Enough of the west end dam culvert repair has been completed to allow pond drainage into the canal. However, sidewalks continue to be closed from the pool area to the bridge to Lawnwood and Dawes.

As further developments come up we will communicate those to you!

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Juergen