Council approves $7.18 million guaranteed maximum price for City Park renovation

The Papillion City Council on July 15 approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $7,184,208 with Meeco Henney Contracting for the City Park renovation project and authorized the administration to proceed with the contract under standard oversight.

Why it matters: The approved GMP commits the city to a construction budget cap for the project and moves the long‑planned park renovation into procurement and construction stages. City officials said some work is already underway (site prep and removal of storm‑damaged trees) but full construction cannot start until a required U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Section 408) review is complete.

Council action and contractor remarks Council approved Resolution R250137 by voice vote (7–0). Councilman Stubbe moved the resolution and Councilman Glover seconded. The motion passed with unanimous support.

Tony (city staff) and John Henney Jr., project manager for Meeco Henney Contracting, briefed the council. The city said the park has been prepped but the Corps’ 408 review — which both the Natural Resources District (NRD) and the Corps have agreed to expedite — is required before major construction proceeds. Henney told the council that long‑lead items and vendor submittals are in process so the contractor can “hit the ground running” when permits clear.

Timeline, scope and construction notes City staff said the project team hopes to have substantial progress so parts of the park could be open by Papillion Days next year, but they cautioned that timing depends on the federal review and weather; the contractor noted some work could continue over winter if conditions allow.

The council asked about visible construction activity: staff said a small number of trees were removed because they were damaged in last year’s storm; the majority of removals were due to storm damage, not design choices. An orange safety fence is in place; staff said routine mowing and park upkeep will continue during the permit hold.

Contract and contingency The GMP includes an allowance roughly equal to a contingency (approximately a 3% allowance was discussed) and the contractor said any use of that allowance would be brought to the city’s attention and must be approved before funds are used. Any unused allowance would be returned to the owner.

Next steps With the GMP approved, staff will continue to coordinate the Section 408 review, finalize long‑lead procurements, and schedule construction sequencing with the contractor. The project manager and city staff will report progress through the usual capital project oversight channels.