Extra $5.858 million budgeted for Town’s new Traffic System

Work on the Advanced Traffic Management System continues as Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen amended its Capital Investment Program budget to include an additional $5,858,181 for the project during its meeting Thursday, Aug. 24.

“The Capital Investment Program will be amended by increasing the appropriated expenditures from $17,267,500 to $23,125,681 … for the (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) Town-Wide Signal System Upgrade,” Town recorder Allison Myers said. “This amendment is needed to budget for the expenditure in the current fiscal year.

“The expenditure for the CMAQ project was budgeted in previous fiscal years,” she added. “The original project budget was $6,810,000, which included the Town of Farragut appropriating $100,000 for (Americans with Disabilities) improvements and $100,000 for the estimated cost of the fiber strand upgrade to the project.

“An additional $15,000 is needed from CIP reserves to completely fund the fiber strand upgrade. The amended budget for the CMAQ project will be $6,825,000.

Myers said the Town’s cost share “is $215,000 of the overall project, with the remaining $6,610,000 being 100 percent funded through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant.”

Similarly, the Board also approved unanimously a change order on the project to upgrade fiber lines being installed as part of the project.

“The ATMS project currently under construction includes installation of 72-count fiber optic lines to connect all 26 of the Town’s traffic signals to a central control at Town Hall,” Town engineer Darryl Smith said.

“While the 72-count fiber allows room for additional services over these lines, the Board decided that 144-count lines will provide much more room for growth in the foreseeable future,” he added.

“As these lines traverse Kingston Pike, Campbell Station Road and Parkside Drive within the Town, they will serve as the ‘spine’ for a network of lines that will connect to all the Town’s parks and properties.”

Smith explained Change Order 1 includes “all increased costs involved with upgrading from the 72- to 144-count fiber ($67,130.20), larger splice enclosures ($42,754.41) and fiber strand storage boxes ($5,465.46) for a total cost of $115,350.07.”

On another matter, the Board approved a resolution to add the following changes to its fee schedule:

• First Trash Violation: a written warning and/or a $100 fine will be charged to the renter/organization. The renter/organization will not be allowed to use the fields until the fine is paid.

• Second Violation: $100 fine and 30-day suspension (without a refund of fees) to the renter organization. The renter/organization will not be allowed to rent a pavilion or rent/use fields or to until after the 30-day suspension and the fine is paid.

• Third Violation: The renter/organization’s contract will be canceled, and the organization will be banned from using any Town of Farragut field.