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Commission awards $751,407 in contracts for LFM Park improvements under CDBG grant despite cost concerns
Summary
The Atchison City Commission approved four construction contracts for LFM Park improvements backed by a CDBG grant after debate about splash pad cost, a proposed timer option and whether to risk losing grant funding.
The Atchison City Commission voted Feb. 3 to award construction contracts for the LFM Park improvement project, funded in part by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The four awarded contracts total $751,407.25, with additional local budget authority set for specified line items.
Clint McNamee, city parks staff, told the commission the LFM master-plan process identified a splash pad as the top community priority and described a multi-step bidding process. McNamee said the city applied for CDBG funding under a program shift toward recreation projects, and that the city was awarded approximately $414,000 in grant funds for a project that originally targeted roughly $711,000 in direct construction costs once design and administration were included.
After two higher bids, staff reconfigured the project into four bid packages and combined some in-house labor to reduce cost; McNamee said the combined low-bid total presented to the commission is $751,407.25. He asked for change-order budget authority for each contract as needed.
The commission approved the following awards in a single motion:
- Splash pad improvements: Bison Construction, $362,120; budget authority $367,000. - Playground improvements: Great Southern Recreation, $109,558.20; budget authority $113,000. - Basketball court lighting and electrical: Bison Construction, $25,000; budget authority $27,000. - Shelter and concrete improvements: Riggs Recreation, $254,728.75; budget authority $260,000.
Several commissioners expressed concern about the splash pad price. Commissioner Slattery argued the commission should pursue a simpler "timer" splash pad like other municipalities to reduce cost and long-term maintenance, saying the bids and proposed product appeared more elaborate than necessary and that the project was already approximately $40,000 over the grant-ready budget. McNamee and other commissioners responded that the open competitive bidding process produced the presented bids, that contractors had the option to propose a timer design and declined, and that staff planned to do portions of the work in-house to lower costs.
Commissioners also discussed a drinking fountain shown in project plans. Staff explained the bid package would remove one older, inaccessible fountain at the site and that replacement could be considered as a later, separate city-funded item.
McNamee and city staff told the commission the city can cover the approximately $40,000 local shortfall from the capital improvement plan (CIP) if the commission chooses to move forward and cautioned that rejecting the bids and rebidding could jeopardize the CDBG award. After discussion the commission voted to proceed and awarded the contracts as listed.
Commissioners and staff also discussed reuse of removed equipment and shelters; staff said they would inspect removed items and attempt reuse where practical.
