Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City updates: Spruce Wash, Downtown Mile, Butler/4th and wastewater upgrades move forward; FEMA and other grants in play
Summary
Capital projects funded by voter‑approved bonds and grants are in construction or design phases: Spruce Wash GMP work, downtown mile NEPA and match negotiations, Butler/4th safe‑streets work and wastewater plant upgrades at Wildcat and Rio were discussed with timelines and funding sources.
Capital improvements staff briefed the council on bond‑funded projects and associated grants during the retreat.
Trevor Anring, capital improvements engineer, reported that the Spruce Wash suite of projects (approved by the 2022 ballot proposition) includes nine subprojects; several are under construction and a series of guaranteed maximum price (GMP) packages have been issued to the construction manager. He said the team is coordinating closely with franchise utilities to address relocation costs the proposition requires the city to cover, and that the project schedule is generally ahead of earlier estimates. Anring said the Cedar Avenue/Linda Vista/4th Street crossings and related work have phasing timed around the school calendar to limit impact.
Ed (last name not specified in transcript) and grants staff confirmed FEMA has awarded the Killup outlet portion of Spruce Wash (about $1.8M) and staff are finalizing the state‑to‑city grant agreement. For the downtown mile project, Stacy Breckler Nags and Ed described awards, NEPA progress and match arrangements including an ADOT Smart‑Match ($3M) and a BNSF match commitment (~$11M) that substantially reduce the city’s share; the downtown mile grant package is not yet obligated pending environmental clearance.
Lee Williams, acting operations director of water services, outlined wastewater bond projects (Proposition 441): Wildcat Hill (digester rehabilitation, primary effluent pump station replacement), Rio de Flag plant upgrades (blower efficiency and backup generation), and a new cogeneration facility to use captured digester gas. Williams said projects are in various design stages; a FEMA/DEMA grant will support generator work and some project scopes have escalated due to higher construction costs.
Fire staff reported the bond allocation allowed the purchase of two Type 3 wildfire engines already in service and two water tenders on order with expected delivery in summer 2026. Bonded fire apparatus purchases were partially delivered and partially on multi‑year build timelines.
Ending: Staff said major projects are proceeding, with several grant awards reducing the city’s match obligations; NEPA, procurement and construction sequencing remain key near‑term milestones and staff will return to council with specific GMP and agreement items as awards and design work move to obligation and bid phases.
