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Council approves community center upgrades; directs additional bids and manual option for dividing walls
Summary
Council approved funding authority to proceed with lobby blinds, new lighting and large fans and directed staff to seek competitive bids and a lower‑cost manual option for replacement dividing walls after staff estimated a $550,000 project to replace aging walls and improve comfort and acoustics.
The Fountain Hills Town Council voted 7‑0 to move forward with improvements at the Community Center, authorizing the town to proceed with motorized blinds for the south lobby, upgraded lighting and large slow‑moving fans and directing staff to seek additional competitive bids and a manual (non‑motorized) option for the ballroom dividing walls.
Director Kevin Snipes told the council the full package was initially estimated at about $550,000, with the dividing walls accounting for the largest share. "We're looking at a total of 550,000 to do all of this," Snipes said, describing recurring failures of the facility's existing partition walls and comfort issues in the lobby caused by direct sun and poor air movement.
Why it matters: the existing partition system is roughly 25 years old and staff reported repeated track and performance problems; the council concluded it was prudent to address the most urgent items now (lobby comfort and lighting) while seeking cost reductions for the largest item (divider walls).
What was discussed: Snipes described recurring incidents of walls coming off tracks and the rooms' poor acoustic separation. He asked for replacement partitions, motorized blinds to reduce solar heat gain, and larger fans to improve lobby comfort. He said the dividing walls are not only worn but increasingly difficult and time‑consuming for staff to operate.
Residents and council members pressed for cost controls and competition. Resident Barry Wolborski questioned the estimates for blinds and fans and asked whether the town was seeking multiple bids. "50 thousand dollars for blinds seems pretty high to me," Wolborski said. Councilmembers asked about warranties (two years on the product as stated), life expectancy (walls roughly 25 years old) and whether resurfacing or hardware replacement could be cheaper than full replacement.
Council direction: Councilwoman Earl moved to approve the package for blinds, fans and lighting and to direct staff to obtain additional competitive quotes for a manual (non‑motorized) divider‑wall option; Councilwoman Kelly Vianakis seconded in the discussion and the motion passed on a 7‑0 roll call. Staff said they will pursue additional quotes from sources beyond the town's existing IGA vendors, seek a manual option that staff said could reduce costs by roughly $100,000, and return updates through the CIP process.
Timing and procurement: Staff said the town has capital funds available and is working on a tight schedule to complete work before July 1 (end of fiscal year). Snipes said manual partition installation is quicker and may allow the town to meet the timeline; motorized installations require more time and electrical work. The town will try to come in under the $550,000 estimate and will report CIP updates to council.
Ending: Council approved moving ahead with the comfort and lighting elements immediately and directed pursuit of competitive pricing and a manual partition alternative for the larger, costlier wall replacement so the town can balance urgency with cost containment.
