NC0021628_Plant Renovations_20201124

Strickland, Bev
From: Bell, Wes
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 12:02 PM
To: Scheller, Roberto
Subject: FW: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-
W-18-0167
Attachments: Pages from Norwood_18-0167_ER_190523.pdf
You might want to touch base with Ken and/or Ali regarding their Norwood concerns.
Wes Bell
Env. Specialist II
Mooresville Regional Office
Water Quality Regional Operations Section
NCDEQ-Division of Water Resources
[phone] Office
[phone] Office Direct Line
Email: [e-mail]
610 East Center Avenue
Suite 301
Mooresville, NC 28115
From: Pohlig, Ken
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 11:41 AM
To: Bell, Wes <[e-mail]>; Basinger, Corey <[e-mail]>
Cc: Browder, Dee <[e-mail]>; Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>; Robertson, Anita
<[e-mail]>; Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fw: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
To: Corey Basinger, Supervisor, Mooresville Regional Office
Wes Bell, Mooresville Regional Office
Just an FYI: We copied you on this email regarding the Norwood WWTP construction rehabilitation project we
have.
We are funding this project with a $4.27 Million State Loan.
This project went out to bid, and the bids came back high, and the Town and Willis Engineers negotiated to
bring the prices down about $600,000. But one of the negotiated items (No. 8) was to Not Build the new
Headworks structure... but to put a new screen and grit system into the existing structure.
This existing headworks structure has been flooded on high flow events... as I am sure you all know very well.
The new headworks structure will be elevated with higher walls, etc... to prevent SSO events.
The email we just copied you on... is to try to convince the Town to not negotiate out the new Headworks
structure... but to build the new structure as originally designed. If the Town needs more Loan money to
cover this cost, we have it available.
1

We do not know how the Town will respond... but we might need your Regional Office support to Not
Negotiate out the new headworks structure... but build the new structure.
Thanks!
Ken Pohlig, PE
Division of Water Infrastructure
From: Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 11:24 AM
To: Amanda Alley <[e-mail]>; Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>
Cc: Chuck Willis <[e-mail]>; Greg Wells <[e-mail]>;
[e-mail] <[e-mail]>; Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>;
Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken <[e-mail]>; Basinger, Corey
<[e-mail]>; Bell, Wes <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
Hi Amanda,
We reviewed the negotiations and have couple of questions and concerns:
1. Number 5: Please specify the chosen manufacturer (make and model) to ensure that this will meet required
specifications
Number 8: According to Engineering Report, headwork was one of the main issues at the WWTP. Headwork has
been flooded (photo attached). Our division does not agree with this number 8 negotiations, we believe that
Morrisville Regional office would not agree with keeping the same structure either. We understand the town
has received NOVs for the flooding at the headworks. We strongly encourage the town to renegotiate the new
headwork structure shown on sheet M1 and M2.
Number 14: This reconfiguration is not clear to us. Please give us a marked up set of plans so we can understand
what is being changed.
We understand that if you remove negotiation # 8, you would need to add $122,200 back in. If the town is interested in
requesting more loan money, we potentially can go up 10% above requested loan or $427,100. We normally add in 5%
contingency outside of construction contract and we recommend the town request this increase also. If the town does
not use this 5% contingency, the actual loan amount is reduced down at project close out. Please let us know how the
town would like to proceed.
By the way, we will go ahead and approve addenda #1 which should have been sent to us on day it was issued.
Regards,
Ali Ajami, PhD
Project Manager
Wastewater Projects Unit
Division of Water Infrastructure
Department of Environmental Quality
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Mailing Address: 1633 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-1633
Physical Address: 512 N. Salisbury St, 81" Floor, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27604
Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third
parties
From: Amanda Alley <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2020 1:19 PM
To: Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>; Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>
Cc: Chuck Willis <[e-mail]>; Greg Wells <[e-mail]>;
[e-mail]; Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>; Hubbard, Mark
<[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
[e-mail]
Ali / Don —
Attached is the Bid Information Package for the Town of Norwood WWTP Renovation project for your review. If you
would like a hard copy sent by mail please let us know and we would be happy to send it.
If you have any questions or need any additional information let us know.
Thank you,
Amanda M. Alley, PMP
Willis Engineers
10700 Sikes Place, Suite 115
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
704.377.9844 office
704.338.4664 direct
704.650.4068 cell
From: Chuck Willis <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020 10:04 AM
To: Greg Wells <[e-mail]>
Cc: Amanda Alley <[e-mail]>
Subject: FW: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
Charles A. Willis, Jr., PE, BCEE

Willis Engineers
10700 Sikes Place, Suite 115
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
704.377.9844 office
704.338.4668 direct
704.641.1621 cell
From: Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020 9:26 AM
To: Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>; Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>; Chuck Willis
<[e-mail]>; [e-mail]
Cc: Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
Yes thats our typical and preferred way to see things brought back into budget.
Know that should the smaller contingency get used up, funds are running short and extra funds that might be
needed later might not be available.
From: Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 2:40 PM
To: Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>; Chuck Willis <[e-mail]>;
[e-mail] <[e-mail]>
Cc: Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>; Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken
<[e-mail]>; Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
Hi Chuck,
Thanks for reaching out. I echo what Don said. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you Don for your quick response!
Regards,
Ali Ajami, PhD
Project Manager
Wastewater Projects Unit
Division of Water Infrastructure
Department of Environmental Quality
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Mailing Address: 1633 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-1633
Physical Address: 512 N. Salisbury St, 8t" Floor, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27604

thin r.
Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third
parties
From: Evans, Don H <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 1:18 PM
To: Chuck Willis <[e-mail]>; Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>; [e-mail];
Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>
Cc: Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>; Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken
<[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
Hi Chuck,
Yes if you are negotiating with the low bidder, a Memorandum of Negotiation would need to be agreed on by both
parties and list out any line items that are being change or deleted. I would suggest a Draft Memo be send to Anita's
group for review since they will have to approve any changes prior to the document being executed.(in case of changes).
Please submit the Memo, once it if finalized with the project bid information package.
Yes the contingency can be reduced to an lower but acceptable amount due to the circumstances. Please let us know
what you are thinking.
I would say the resolution could be stated that the award is to Haren subject to the executed Memorandum of
Negotiation. I will have to ask Mark Hubbard if he agrees with that.
Thanks for checking on these items up front,
Don
From: Chuck Willis [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 12:02 PM
To: Ajami, Ali <[e-mail]>; [e-mail]
Cc: Robertson, Anita <[e-mail]>; Hubbard, Mark <[e-mail]>; Evans, Don H
<[e-mail]>; Pohlig, Ken <[e-mail]>
Subject: [External] Norwood Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation Project, E-SRP-W-18-0167
External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
[e-mail]
On August 20 the Town of Norwood received bids for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation project (E-SRP-W-18-
0167). A copy of the Bid Tabulation is attached. The low bid was $4,346,400.00 from Haren Construction, which
exceeds the budget of $3,750,000. Both the Town and Haren Construction have indicated their willingness to discuss a
reduction in the scope of the project in order to stay within the budget. Accordingly, we are seeking some guidance from
the Division:
1. Are there any forms or specific documentation requirements for describing the negotiated reduction? If not, we
would document the changes in a format similar to an Addendum.
2. Can the 5% Contingency be reduced to a lesser amount?
3. Does the reduced Contract Amount need to be established prior to the Town Board Resolution of Tentative
Award or would it be acceptable for the Resolution to include language that the Award will be "subject to

reduction of the Bid Amount to not more than $3,750,000". This would allow the Town to make the Resolution
at their September 8 Town Board meeting. Otherwise they will need to wait until their October meeting.
Thank you for your assistance.
Chuck
Charles A. Willis, Jr., PE, BCEE
Willis Engineers
10700 Sikes Ploce, Suite 115
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
704.377.9844 office
704.338.4668 direct
704.641.1621 cell

Willis Engineers 
1996.002 2 May 2019 
Photo 3 ‐ The grit classifier is not removing any grit. The grit pile shown on the left of the screen has remained unchanged for 
several years, suggested that the auger of the classifier is either broken or has corroded away. 
Photo 4 ‐ The headworks structure overflowing during a high flow event.