Finance committee approves $3.735 million design contract for Arnold Coont City Lake Dam

The High Point Finance Committee on Jan. 30 approved a $3,735,000 contract award to Snobble Engineering for final design, permitting and bidding support for the Arnold Coont City Lake Dam.

The contract covers engineering design work for a dam the city said is nearing 100 years old and does not meet current dam-safety standards. The city intends to issue revenue bonds in 2027, with debt service paid from water and sewer revenues, to fund construction after design and permitting are complete.

Public Service Director Robbie Stone told the committee the award will cover final design and permitting, and staff estimates the design phase will take about 25 months, with permitting possibly extending another 12 months. "They're also anticipating 12 months of permitting. We're gonna try to conduct some of that permitting during the design phase, but it could carry over," Stone said. The city described 25 months as a minimum design timeline.

Committee members sought clarification on timing. Councilman Andrew said he was more concerned about permitting than the length of design. Stone said the city would coordinate permitting alongside design where possible.

The committee made a motion to approve the item (listed in the agenda as item 2025-034). The motion passed. Individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the committee transcript.

The contract award advances a multi-step project the city says will move from design to permitting and then to bidding and construction, financed by anticipated revenue bonds. City staff said they will continue to brief council as permitting and design milestones are reached.