FERC approves new Lake of the Ozarks boundary

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BY JEFFREY TOMICH • jtomich@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8320 | Posted: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 11:45 am | 

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Two buildings in the Lake Valley Condos, center, are among the 4,000 structures — homes, decks, gazebos and patios — built on land that belongs to Ameren Missouri's Bagnell Dam project. This photo is from Sept. 21, 2011. Laurie Skrivan | lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today approved Ameren Missouri's request to re-draw the project boundary for the Osage Hydroelectric project at Lake of the Ozarks to exclude more than 1,500 lakefront homes and other structures in jeopardy of condemnation.

Ameren’s proposal would remove more than 28,000 acres of land around the lake from federal jurisdiction, promising to resolve some of the tumult surrounding a shoreline management plan issued by regulators last summer.

St. Louis-based Ameren owns and manages the lake, Bagnell Dam and Osage hydroelectric plant under FERC's oversight. Terms are spelled out in a 40-year license issued in 2007.

The license requires Ameren to submit a plan to manage land within the Bagnell Dam project, a narrow ring of shoreline encircling the lake. Around much of the lake, the project boundary is defined by elevation, varying from 662 feet to 678 feet above sea level.

The shoreline plan approved by FERC last summer required that homes and other structures built within the Bagnell Dam boundary be "removed, " igniting a furor among lakefront property owners who worried they may lose their homes. 

Banks and real estate companies warned it would damage an already fragile real estate market. And Missouri's congressional delegation proposed legislation to limit federal oversight of the lake.

After weeks of criticism, FERC clarified its order last fall, saying the original plan was widely misinterpreted. The agency also scolded Ameren for lax management of shoreline development and ordered a new plan.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ferc-approves-new-lake-of-the-ozarks-boundary/article_ec56a466-af1a-11e1-8635-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1wx5MPboF

The 2012 ACEC Awards

Schultz and Summers Engineering & Surveying Received BBB Gold Star Award

They were recognized for having no complaints over the past three years.

Brad Allbritton and Bob Summers accept theGold Star from Judy Mills BBB President/CEO

SPRINGFIELD MO. - The Better Business Bureau of Southwest Missouri recently awarded Schultz and Summers Engineering their Gold Star award for having no customer complaints the last three years.  Owner Stan Schultz said, “It’s and honor to receive this recognition from the BBB.  Our employees work extremely hard to make sure our customers’ needs are taken care of.  I’m very thankful that Brad Allbritton and his team have done such a good job in Branson.”

Over 300 attended the annual Torch Awards dinner in Springfield.  Rick's Automotive was awarded the 2012 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in the medium size category and Success Naturally of Springfield won in the small size category.  The BBB Torch Award is designed to promote not only the importance of ethical business practices, but also the willingness and efforts made by outstanding businesses to ensure that our country's marketplace remains fair and honorable for all consumers and businesses.

“Running an office and dealing with customers can sometimes be hectic, but SSE is a company that supports our efforts to take care of our customers.  I’m proud to work at a place where honesty and integrity are the top priority,” added Brad Allbritton. Only 60 Southwest Missouri Businesses were presented the Gold Star Award, and SSE was proud to be among them. 

SSE Owner Bob Summers attended the event and he concluded, “It was a very nice dinner and I enjoyed meeting the other business owners and award winners.  The economy has been rough the last few years but it was nice to meet other small business owners who have worked hard taken care of their customers and survived.  I’m thankful to be a part of this group!”  

LOWA to report on water quality, accomplishments at Monday meeting - lakeexpo.com: Community News

LOWA to report on water quality, accomplishments at Monday meeting - lakeexpo.com: Community News: The Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance will announce the final results of a 20-week water study and new accomplishments at a public meeting…

This story also talks about how LOWA and Schultz and Summers Engineering are partnering on the Rocky Mount sewer project.

Schultz and Summers Joins the USDA In Helping Ellington Make Water Upgrades

We have a great Video that includes some good interviews with Greg Batson from the USDA and Mayor Pickett talking about the upgrades to the Ellington system.  Also you can click the link below to read the story about the details on how these upgrades are saving the city money.

Read Blog Post Here

SCHULTZ AND SUMMERS ENGINEERING & SURVEYING DESIGNS NEW BERNIE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN

Progress on Bernie

BERNIE, MO – Residents in Bernie will soon get a much needed new wastewater treatment facility to keep their sewer system running smoothly.   Their old oxidation ditch was constructed in the 1970’s and began having significant problems serving the City’s 768 homes and businesses.  Cracks could be found in the facility’s structural walls, the controls were worn out, and the bearings on the mixer were on the brink of collapse.  These problems were first identified in 2004.  In 2009, Mayor Tillmon’s asked Schultz and Summers Engineering (SSE) to evaluate any deficiencies with the system and help identify what funding was needed to replace the plant.  SSE owner Bob Summers said, “The problems Bernie’s older system was experiencing are similar to what we have seen in other communities in Missouri.  We enjoy designing projects that keep sewer rates low for the residents and keep communities in compliance with all the DNR rules and regulations.”

After a careful review of all the problems with the old treatment plant, SSE put together a design that addressed all the deficiencies.  They also developed preliminary designs and cost estimates for the project that were made available to the public.  Once the voters looked at the new design and the option to use public financing in order to keep sewer rates low, they passed a $5.0 million dollar bond issue at the November 2009 election with over an 80% approval.   Mayor James Tillmon added, “The plan Schultz and Summers developed was a cost effective way to solve our sewer problems.  Their help in informing the voters about the new treatment plant was very useful in gaining passage of the bond issue.”

The new plant under construction

Once the bond was successfully passed, a Preliminary Engineering Report was submitted by SSE to the Missouri Water and Wastewater Review Committee in January of 2010.   Schultz and Summers then worked with USDA-Rural Development to secure over $2.5 million in low interest loan dollars for Bernie.  Rural-Development provided the City these loans at a 2.25% interest rate, which was fixed for 35 years.  Summers commented, “We have helped several cities in Missouri obtain low interest loans over the years, but it was almost unbelievable for Bernie to receive a fixed 2.25% interest rate for 35 years!”  

The project plans were completed in mid-2010 and submitted to both USDA-Rural Development and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The plans were approved in October 2010 and Rural Development approved the bid advertisement that took place in November 2010.  The project provided the low bidder with a Notice to Proceed in January 2011 and the new treatment plant should be completed sometime in the fall of the this year.

Mayor Tilmon concluded, “I can’t say enough about how helpful Schultz and Summers Engineering were during this whole process.  It was nice having a company help us who understood the process and knew all the key players involved.  Their experience was one of the main reasons we were able to pass the bond issue and get so much support from government agencies such as DNR and USDA-Rural Development.”   

ENR Midwest's Top 20 Under 40 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction

Schultz and Summers Engineering & Surveying is proud to announce that Bob Summers was selected by ENR to be on their 20 under 40 list.

Here is the story below!

Bob talking with a client

ENR Midwest's Top 20 Under 40 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction

CHAFFEE SELECTS SCHULTZ AND SUMMERS ENGINEERING FOR THEIR WATER NEEDS

Chaffee water plant before upgrades began

CHAFFEE, MO-  The City of Chaffee Missouri has announced that Schultz and Summers Engineering has been chosen as the engineer to design a $6,250,000 upgrade of their water treatment plant, as well as complete replacement of all waterlines throughout the City, and a new radio-read water meters for all 1,200+ customers.  Mayor Steve Loucks said, “Schultz and Summers is the most experienced engineering firm in southeast Missouri for these kinds of projects.  They helped us pass our bond proposal and work with the funding agencies to obtain funding.  We are very pleased to have them on board.”

Bob Summers

The USDA issued the Letter of Conditions to Chaffee in March 2011. Construction should begin in the spring of 2012 with a projected completion for the summer of 2013.  SSE Owner Bob Summers added, “In addition to the new water treatment plant, we will be installing new controls and rehabilitating a large water tank.  Also, replacing all of the waterlines and adding the radio-read water meters for the 1,200+ residents will provide customers with improved drinking water and lower operating costs for the City.”

Last November, Chaffee voters passed a $12 million dollar bond issue to make improvements to the City’s water and wastewater systems.  The water upgrades are the first phase of the planned improvements.  

Schultz and Summers Engineering is a Missouri based Civil Engineering Company with offices in Poplar Bluff, Branson, Lake Ozark and New Orleans. They have provided drinking water and sewer services to over 47 communities in Missouri.  To date, they have helped those communities obtain over $90,000,000 in public funding.  They have set up several large state of the art USACE validated testing labs along the Mississippi River and are one of the select companies that have been approved for Blanket Purchase Agreement with the USACE.  They have also provided surveying services to a variety of clients from utilities, MoDOT, USACE, cities, corporations, small business, and individuals. SSE is a HubZone certified company and can be found at www.schultzandsummers.com or http://schultzandsummers.blogspot.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/schultzandsummers

ENR-Midwest Names Bob Summers one

of the Region's Top 20 Under 40 Engineers

POPLAR BLUFF, MO- Schultz and Summers Engineering principal Bob Summers has been selected as one of the top 20 under 40 rising stars by Engineering News Record (ENR) - Midwest. ENR Midwest is the foremost publication on all facets of the development, design and construction marketplace in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and eastern Missouri. They provide news, features and information about the people building the infrastructure projects in the Midwest. “Being selected by ENR for this list is a real honor.  I love my profession and work hard to design projects that improve the lives of the citizens in Missouri, but I never expected to get something like this.  It’s very humbling,” said Summers.     

Bob Summers

The Top 20 Under 40 Program received scores of nominations during a submission period extending from Nov. 1 to Dec. 8 but the final winners include 14 men and six women hailing from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri.  The winners were chosen based on individual accomplishments along with their ability to demonstrate excellence and leadership in their professions. 

Bob and the other winners will be highlighted in the Jan. 30 edition of ENR Midwest.  SSE founder Stan Schultz added, “The judges could not have picked a better person to put on this list than Bob.  He is a true professional and I’m so happy to see him get the kind of recognition he deserves. He has been a real asset to our company and the communities we serve.” 

This year's Top 20 Under 40 include:

Sachin Anand, 39, Principal, dbHMS, Chicago

Zachary Borders, 33, Senior Urban Planner + Designer/Associate, HOK, Chicago

Brad Dannegger, 37, Vice President and Regional Manager, Arco/Murray National Construction Co., Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.

Katherine Darnstadt, 29, Principal, Latent Design, Chicago

Aash Desai, 33, Managing Principal, Helios Design Build, Chicago

Lisa Gomperts, 38, Principal, Schmidt Associates, Indianapolis

Tobias Heddinghaus, 39, Principal, Gray Design Group, St. Louis

John Lashenik, 37, Vice President, American Structurepoint, Indianapolis

Lira Luis, 38, Principal Architect, ALLL, Chicago

 Jeff Madden, 38, General Manager, Mortenson Construction, Madison, Wis.

Corrie Meyer, 34, Associate, Schmidt Associates, Indianapolis

Michael Rallo, Jr., 33, Senior Project Manager, Paric Corp., O'Fallon, Mo.

Peter Rumpf, 32, Integrated Construction Manager, Mortenson Construction, Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Beau Sanders, 31, Project Manager, GRAEF, Milwaukee

Amy Slattery, 33, Associate, BNIM, Kansas City, Mo.

Robert Summers, 34, Principal, Schultz and Summers Engineering, Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Chuck Taylor, 38, Director of Operations, Englewood Construction, Lemont, Ill.

Peter Todd, 34, Owner's Agent/Program Manager, The Boldt Co., Milwaukee

Brian Volpe, 37, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti, Chicago

Megan Zack, 34, Director of Sustainability, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, Chicago

The five Panelists who reviewed all the nominations include: James Arends, vice president and business development manager with Gilbane Building Co., Chicago; Fred L. Brandstrader, senior project manager with CB Richard Ellis, Chicago, and President of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects; Ashley Z. Hand, associate with AECOM, Kansas City, Mo; Colin Rohlfing, Sustainable Design Director with HOK, Chicago; and Anna Stern, vice president with Tri-North Builders, Fitchburg, Wis.