The area in the northeastern part of Hamilton County around Enterprise South is growing rapidly and traffic getting there is increasing, making it more difficult to get to customers quickly. EPB has been trying to build a new operations center there and budgeted for it several times, but the project has continually been delayed. The facility would be a location where people work, and trucks, vehicles and equipment would be stored. That would increase efficiency because it would be close to a growing number of customers.
Assistant Vice President of Operations Bobby Hutcherson gave the EPB Board of Directors an update on the project of trying to get the building up and going. The property was purchased pre-COVID. Soon afterward, the cost of building materials increased so much that it was decided to wait before buying the supplies. Costs are beginning to go down now and sub-contractors are more available than they have been in the last couple of years and Mr. Hutcherson said the contractor is ready to begin preparing the site. Now there is another delay.
When the land was originally bought there was a small, unregulated stream on the property and a small wetlands area, neither of which were considered to be a significant problem. Since the property was purchased, the authority of the stream has changed and it now falls under TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,) and is regulated by The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Because the streambed rarely holds water and may actually be from drainage that was redirected from another nearby building, Mr. Hutcherson said he does not anticipate a problem getting a permit to build where the steam is. The wetland is causing the delay. Two endangered wildflowers grow in areas around the EPB property - Florida Hedge Hyssop and Large Flowering Skull Cap. They may also be growing in the wetlands that are on the EPB land, but there is no way to know until they bloom and that will be in the summer. If they are there, that part of the property cannot be filled in as is planned.
There is also a pipe easement that has to be considered when the building is positioned and a 30-feet buffer must be left around the wetland if it cannot be filled in. The plans that have been drawn place the building to maximize the size it can be. If it turns out the small wetlands cannot be filled in, the building size will have to be reduced. Mr. Hutcherson said the metal building components and other materials will not be ordered until the size of the building is known. This puts the construction on hold while waiting to see if the flowers are there.
If changes have to be made, EPB will do whatever needs to be done to work around them, said Mr. Hutcherson. This new facility will help efficiency, but the business can continue as is in the buildings that are now being used, so the delay in construction will just delay some efficiencies.
David Wade, president and CEO of EPB, told the board that several grant opportunities from the federal government have become available. EPB has applied for three of them. If they are received, they would be used for work that would enhance efficiencies, resilience, add capacity and make EPB services more reliable. He said the probability of getting the grants is unknown.