Council approves municipal design contract amendment, reappoints board member, adopts flag ordinance and awards Verdigris pump contract

Broken Arrow, Okla. — The Broken Arrow City Council on Sept. 2 approved several routine and project items: an amendment to the architectural contract for a new municipal services building, the reappointment of a Board of Adjustment member, and adoption of an ordinance adding the Muscogee Nation flag to the city's list of flags flown at city facilities. Separately, the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority awarded a construction contract to Crossland Heavy Contractors for a fourth raw water pump at the Verdigris River Water Treatment Plant.

The council unanimously approved an amendment to the professional services agreement with Selzer Schaeffer Architects (referred to in staff remarks also as the architect team) to proceed into schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and construction support for the new municipal services administration building. Shannon Marshall, special projects division manager, told the council the amendment advances the project at the site the council previously approved and that department heads have provided program and space input.

Why it matters: Moving the municipal services building into design development commits staff time and consultant resources and positions the project for later bidding and construction phases. Marshall said staff will proceed with schematic design and related documents if council approved the amendment.

The council also approved the reappointment of Michelle Bergwall to a three-year term on the Board of Adjustment, expiring May 1, 2028. Rocky Hinkle, community development director, provided the appointment background, saying Bergwall was first appointed April 19, 2022 to fill a vacancy and that she is willing to serve another term. A council member who has worked on committees with Bergwall described her as an architect who has done work with the Broken Arrow school system.

On ordinances, Trevor Dennis reported that council had previously asked staff to draft an ordinance to add the Muscogee Nation flag to the list of flags approved to fly at city facilities. Council adopted Ordinance No. 3890 and later approved the ordinance’s emergency clause by separate motion.

In a separate meeting of the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority, Charlie Bright, director of engineering and construction, presented a recommendation to award the low bid to Crossland Heavy Contractors for installation of a fourth raw water pump at the Verdigris River Water Treatment Plant. Bright said each existing pump can move approximately 8.5 million gallons per day and that the plant is rated at about 30 million gallons; the fourth pump adds redundancy and capacity. Crossland’s low bid was “a little under $1,100,000,” Bright said. The authority approved the award and also approved an alternate to install piping and wiring to accommodate a future fifth pump, while deferring installation of the fifth pump itself due to current fund limits.

Votes at a glance: • Amendment to architectural contract for municipal services building — motion approved (roll call taken). • Reappointment of Michelle Bergwall, Board of Adjustment (term to 05/01/2028) — motion approved (roll call taken). • Ordinance No. 3890 (add Muscogee Nation flag to approved flags) — adopted (roll call taken); emergency clause adopted (roll call taken). • Award to Crossland Heavy Contractors for fourth raw water pump at Verdigris River Water Treatment Plant — award approved; ad alternate approved to pre-fit for a fifth pump (roll call taken).

What council members said and next steps: Shannon Marshall noted the design team was selected through the request-for-qualifications process and would advance the building to document stages if approved. Charlie Bright said the additional pump provides maintenance redundancy and future capacity; he answered council questions on the sizing and the decision not to install the fifth pump now, but to provide wiring and piping for future addition. Staff will proceed with contract execution and next design steps; specific bid amounts and final contract documents will be filed with city procurement records.

Ending: No further executive session or additional votes were held. The council’s next regularly scheduled items on project design and bond planning were discussed elsewhere on the agenda.