The Archer City Commission approved a $193,000 payment to engineering firm Kimley-Horn during a regular meeting on Monday that will go towards $289,000 in unpaid invoices.
The invoices cover multiple projects, including work that was done to secure Federal Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permitting for a wastewater project Archer partnered with the city of Newberry on.
Although Archer recently started moving forward on the project with Woodard & Curran engineers, it still needs to pay Kimley-Horn invoices in full before the firm distributes its work for the FDEP permits.
If the city fails to secure permits by the project deadlines, it will incur several million dollars more in debt to the city of Newberry.
Archer Interim City Manager Deanna Alltop said the city pursued a $193,000 loan from Ameris Bank after Newberry City Manager Jordan Marlowe called the commissioners to explain that the timing between each of the city’s commission meetings would likely prohibit them from settling on the loans needed to get Kimley-Horn paid by the end of June.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners agreed in May to loan Archer an additional $68,000 for immediate wastewater projects. Between the county loan and the bank loan, Archer still has $28,000 left to pay on Kimley-Horn invoices for non-wastewater projects such as a gym, dog park and cemetery.
Kimley-Horn staff said at Monday’s meeting it would move forward with submitting the permit plan modifications with but that it wouldn’t be until August or November before it heard back from FDEP on the status of the permits.
“The deadline is very critical to get it done as soon as humanly possible, for our funding and our construction deadlines,” said Assistant City Attorney Kiersten Ballou. “If we don’t make this cycle but we make the next cycle, we’re right on the edge, but we’re okay.”
The $193,000 is no small effort for Archer as it works to climb out of a financial crisis. Approval for the payment came after the commission scrutinized the city’s recent transactions down to a $12 service fee for a bounced check and efforts to conserve spending touched each of the other agenda items.
When the commission decided to update its ordinance for painting murals on private property, some citizens commented that the update should be the least of their concerns if it was going to cost more money.
After discussing community volunteer action boards, the commission decided to table the item to the next regular meeting on July 14.
The item came to the commission’s attention after multiple citizens reached out asking to volunteer their expertise in accounting and planning to help the city manage its financial crisis. Hope said not accepting their help would continue to burden staff with cleaning up the issue on their own.
“I inquire of you all as my constituents up here on the dais, are we going to refuse the assistance that’s being offered to us?” he said. “Are we fearful?”
Staff said the issue wasn’t about being afraid, but not having the resources to fund or manage new boards at this time.
The commission discussed but didn’t act to advertise for a permanent city manager and accounting employees due to concerns about funding the positions, even in light of the six months it would take to advertise for them.