Council authorizes up to $80,000 in reallocated funds for community center upgrades

City staff asked the council to authorize a change order and a transfer of already‑budgeted capital funds to expand work at the community center while a contractor is on site.

Tracy Coleman, presenting the staff request, said the city had secured a Washington State Department of Commerce grant for the center and had incurred higher‑than‑expected asbestos removal and structural engineering costs. The city also received lower bids than budgeted on a separate city‑hall roof project. Coleman said the combination of grant dollars and the bid savings left an opportunity to add targeted upgrades without increasing the city’s total capital budget.

Coleman asked the council to authorize up to $80,000 in additional spending to pay for items that include window replacement throughout the building, a kitchen floor replacement, additional exterior outlets, new siding and gutters, HVAC upgrades (including separate kitchen cooling), and metal back doors for improved security. She said using the existing contractor while work is underway would be more cost effective than re‑bidding the additional work later.

Nut graf: the council approved reallocating available capital funds — not a new tax or levy — so the work can be done now while a contractor is on site. Coleman said the money would be moved from an unspent portion of the city hall roof budget.

Councilor Sean (surname not given) moved the authorization; a second followed. The council voted and the motion passed. The city clerk recorded the outcome as “Motion passes.” Coleman said the improvements would modernize the building envelope and add power for outdoor events and sports activities.

Ending: Coleman asked the community to hold final visual inspection until a public ribbon‑cutting; the council agreed and thanked staff for managing the bid savings to fund local improvements.