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Council approves design authorization not to exceed $46,550 for Donner Drive facility work after trimming scope
Summary
The council approved a design-services authorization capped at $46,550 for conceptual and engineering work at the Donner Drive public works facility and directed staff to return a revised proposal excluding a floor drain; council debated curb-and-gutter requirements and scheduling.
The City Council on June 2 approved a design-services authorization capped at $46,550 for conceptual engineering and design work at the Donner Drive public-works facility but asked consultants to provide a revised proposal excluding a new floor drain so the council could compare costs.
Staff said $350,000 is budgeted in the current capital plan for facility improvements across Donner Drive, Eastern and Perry facilities. The consultant proposal before the council included options such as expanding the parking area, adding curb and gutter, and installing a floor drain and associated piping to the sanitary sewer. The proposal’s total design cap was $46,550.
During discussion, public-works staff and council members debated scope: the parking lot paving and the removal of a soft spot near the former dumpster area were broadly supported; opinions differed on curb and gutter and on including the floor drain in the immediate contract. The city engineer advised that curb and gutter is an ordinance standard for reconstructed parking lots but acknowledged that some corridors currently lack curb-and-gutter, and that opting out would likely require a formal variance or council direction. Public-works staff said the floor drain and structural piping add materially to design and construction cost because the drain requires structural and plumbing design and connection to sewer mains.
Vote and next steps: Council approved the design-services authorization with a "not to exceed" cap and instructed the consultant to submit a revised proposal removing the floor drain option so the council could review a lower-cost concept at the next meeting. Staff warned the construction schedule would likely push into late summer and fall if design begins immediately: roughly three to four weeks for design, then bidding and contract award into August or September with construction potentially in September–October.
Ending: Council members signaled a desire to prioritize paving the parking lot and to weigh curb-and-gutter requirements against neighborhood standards; a revised fee estimate and a recommendation will return to the council for a decision on construction scope and budget.
