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Council packet to include $208,000 contingency transfer to cover FF&E cost increases for joint‑use facility
Summary
EJ Walsh told the FedRack committee that inflation, tariffs and a slightly higher tax rate increased remaining FF&E costs for the joint-use operations facility by about $208,000; council forwarded the authorization to the Jan. 6, 2026 consent agenda (3-0).
The FedRack committee approved forwarding to the Jan. 6, 2026 council consent agenda a staff request to purchase remaining furnishings, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) for the joint‑use operations facility after officials said the list exceeded the remaining budget by roughly $208,000.
EJ Walsh, who presented the request, said the overall equipment budget for the project is $2,200,000. Earlier procurements used most of that authorization, and Walsh said the outstanding list totals roughly $868,000 against $659,200 of remaining budget, producing a shortfall of about $208,000. He said the extra cost would be covered from the project contingency and would not affect the general fund.
Walsh attributed the increase to a combination of inflation, modest tax‑rate changes in Washington and tariffs, particularly for raw materials such as Canadian steel that feed into equipment like lifts and security systems. He listed the main drivers as vehicle lifts, IT and security systems and site equipment.
"Tariffs and inflation are the two big ones," Walsh said, noting that some items are U.S.-manufactured but still carry higher costs because of imported raw materials. He said the city will issue purchase orders immediately if the full council approves the request, explaining staff’s goal is to avoid additional price increases.
Council members requested line-item detail on which equipment experienced the largest increases. Walsh responded that the high-volume effect came from many small increases across items rather than a single outlier, and he said most items are within the approved project scope.
After discussion, the committee moved the item to the Jan. 6 consent agenda and approved the forward by voice vote (3-0).
What happens next
If the full council approves the contingency transfer and purchasing authorization on Jan. 6, city staff will proceed with issuing purchase orders to complete the remaining FF&E for the operations facility.
