Brentwood approves contracts and its $15,000 share of regional fire training tower contingency

The Brentwood Board of Aldermen on May 5 approved a package of resolutions authorizing construction contracts and contingency funding for a regional fire training facility shared by Clayton, Brentwood, Maplewood and Richmond Heights. Each resolution passed by a 7-0 roll-call vote.

The board authorized a $60,000 additional contingency across the four cities for the phased training tower project (resolution 1545). City staff said the $60,000 is collective, equal to $15,000 per city. "We are asking for an additional, $60,000 across all 4 cities in additional contingency funds to move forward with this project," said the fire chief (unnamed).

Councilors then ratified four construction-related contracts the fire training commission had approved: a project-oversight agreement with Navigate Building Solutions (resolution 1546), a materials-and-systems agreement with American Fire Training Systems (resolution 1547), a general-contractor agreement with AME Construction LLC d/b/a Eilers Construction (resolution 1548), and a construction materials-testing agreement with Terracon (resolution 1549). All passed by roll call with affirmative votes from Aldermen Plovka, Tice, Sims, Lochmiller, Gould, Harter and Erger.

Staff and the chief told the board that bids returned higher than expected and the project was scaled back in design. The largest overage came from the general-contractor and site-preparation bids; staff said site work requires removal of two feet of soil at the tower and concrete locations and replacement with compacted fill, which increased costs.

The fire chief said the contingency request will not affect Brentwood’s 2025 budget and that the costs will be included in the 2026 budget process because the build extends into 2026. "This will not have an impact on the 2025 budget. This will be part of the 2026 budget process," the chief said.

Alderman Plovka asked why the item was presented as five separate resolutions. City staff explained each resolution corresponds to an individual contract approved by the fire training commission. Alderman McPherson asked whether Brentwood would be responsible for other municipalities’ shares if a partner city dropped out; city staff responded that the city’s approval covers a 25% share of each contract but conceded that if a city withdrew the project would be in jeopardy.

Joe Schweitzer of Navigate Building Solutions, present at the meeting, said the owner's-representative role was not rebid for the construction phase because Navigate was selected during preconstruction: "We didn't solicit any other bids for construction phase services as your owner's rep," he said. He also noted that Navigate's hourly rate remained unchanged.

City staff said the project began in 2023 and is a phased build affecting Brentwood's capital budgets for 2024–26. An alderman characterized the full contract package as representing the majority of roughly $2,000,000 for the project during discussion; staff identified contingencies and fund-balance sources among partners to cover overages.

Each of the five resolutions passed by roll call 7–0; the approvals authorize staff to execute the agreements as presented and incorporate the contingency funding into project accounting as described by staff.