“Ayres Associates did a really good
job of compiling all the data from
the master drainage study into one
concise document,” Tompkins said.
Greg Caldwell, capital improvement
program manager at St. Johns County,
agrees that innovative solutions are
the foundation of a solid working
relationship. He worked with Ayres
Associates engineer Daryl Myers on
the Kings Estate and Old Moultrie
Road Intersection project.
N
estled between the beautiful
St. Johns River and the scenic
Florida Atlantic coast is St.
Johns County. An area rich in history
and charm, where you can celebrate
the 450th birthday of the oldest city
in America – St. Augustine – or simply
enjoy a quiet picnic along the river, St.
Johns County is spectacular.
Working hard to keep it that way is
Press Tompkins, county engineer
at St. Johns County Public Works
Department, and his staff. Tompkins
said they don’t do it alone; they
hire consulting engineering firms for
much of the work. Ayres Associates
has been working with the County
since the late 1990s. According to
Tompkins, this long and successful
relationship comes down to expertise,
responsiveness, and a genuine
investment in the community.
One of the first major projects
Tompkins took on with Ayres
Associates was a Stormwater Master
Plan Update. Before the master
plan, there was no comprehensive
stormwater plan. Several smaller
studies and projects had been
conducted, and often the results were
never implemented. Essentially, the
County had snapshots of problems
but no big picture – no starting
point. Ayres Associates evaluated
information from all sources and
developed a report with improvement
recommendations. With this study,
the County had a prioritized plan to
solve drainage issues throughout the
County.
The intersection was in dire need of
improvement because of increasing
traffic volume, but with limited rightof-way, there wasn’t much room for
expansion.
“Daryl had a great solution,” Caldwell
said. Rather than buy another parcel
of land and build a stormwater
treatment pond, Myers proposed
using infiltration pipes to treat the
stormwater, which would save space,
cost, and move the project through
permitting more easily.
Nick Perpich, project engineer at
St. Johns County, also values Ayres
Associates’ knowledge of government
regulations, processes, and funding
requirements.
First, know your stuff:
Expertise
Tompkins, who oversees engineering
consulting work in the Public
Works Department, said his most
fundamental factor in choosing an
engineering consultant is expertise.
“We look for consultants who have
the knowledge and experience to
match our needs,” Tompkins said.
TRENDS
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