City manager reports Fire Station 7 and second bridge design progress; staff proposes adopting 2024 building and fire codes

City Manager Mister Knutson told the Lake Havasu City Council on Tuesday that two major capital projects are in active design and on schedule: Fire Station 7 and the second bridge crossing the channel. "The project is currently in the design stage," Knutson said of Fire Station 7 and said the design team will submit a 60 percent plan set for city review within weeks. He said the city expects a 100 percent plan set in 2026 and anticipates construction to begin in 2026. Knutson said consultants and staff have been value‑engineering the project to meet scope while staying within budget. On the second bridge, Knutson said the consultant NV5 will submit a 30 percent plan set by the end of September and the city engaged Ames Construction as construction manager at‑risk in February 2025. He said the environmental review is already underway and that the U.S. Coast Guard — which reviews permitting for structures over navigable waterways — has been notified; that permitting process can take six to 18 months. Knutson said the city is tentatively targeting construction to start in 2027 and noted the city will need cooperation from Arizona State Parks to meet the timeline. Separately, Knutson said Development Services in partnership with the Fire Department plans to recommend adoption of the 2024 International Building and Fire Codes with local amendments, replacing the 2018 codes, to align with current standards and support new technologies. Staff said those code updates will be presented for council consideration in the coming months and that proposed amendments are posted on the city's website for community review. No formal council action was taken Tuesday on project budgets or code adoption; the manager's remarks were part of the city manager report. Knutson recognized staff and contractors involved in the projects and said the teams are working to keep the projects on schedule and within budget.