Sumner City staff outline $66 million funding plan, seek delegation to issue revenue bonds for new public works facility

City staff on Feb. 10 presented Sumner City Council with a funding package to complete a new public works operations facility and told council it will be asked on Feb. 18 to delegate authority to finalize a revenue-bond sale to cover the utility portion of the project.

City Administrator Jason Wilson said the project has been in planning for years and that staff designed a facility to replace an undersized operations complex. “This is something that's been in the works for well over 5 years,” Wilson said during the study session.

Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Raymond told the council the all-in cost from feasibility through move-in is about $66,000,000. “Our total anticipated cost of the project from feasibility through essentially move in is $66,000,000,” Raymond said. She described a funding split that allocates about 49% of the cost to the general fund and 51% to utility funds.

Why it matters: city staff say the current operations site is crowded and will not accommodate projected staff and equipment needs. The proposed facility covers roughly 6.2 acres and about 100,000 square feet across six buildings; construction is expected to run from early 2025 to late 2026.

Project and funding details: Raymond described three project phases. Phase 1 (site demo and preloading) and Phase 2 (a north-parcel stormwater decant facility and related improvements) are underway or complete; Phase 3 is the main operations facility. The construction contract…