City staff recommends ISE for civil engineering on Fire Station 85 site work; council asks about delivery method

City staff and the project engineer presented the next steps for Fire Station 85 and recommended appointing ISE as the civil/civil-engineering firm to prepare grading plans, site utilities and roadway connections for the new station site.

Project manager Tim Simons summarized the delivery strategy and said civil engineering is the first step: "Civil engineering is our first item on that agenda." He explained the intent to use a construction-manager-at-risk contract for the building to bring a contractor in early during design, reduce cost-overrun risk and accelerate schedule. Simons said three local civil-engineering quotes were obtained and that ISE, after a clarification and a revised quote, offered the lowest overall cost and a favorable record with the city; "Our recommendation is that we appoint ISE as the civil engineer for this project," he said.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the civil scope (grading, utilities and pad preparation) and confirmed the construction-manager-at-risk approach that Simons said previously produced cost savings on a county project. Staff said additional architectural and construction-manager procurements would follow the civil appointment.

Why it matters: Civil engineering will determine grading, stormwater and roadway connections ahead of building design; choosing a civil engineer starts the design and permitting path and informs the construction procurement approach.

Ending: Staff recommended appointing ISE and will return with contract documents and the next-phase procurement steps for architecture and construction management.