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Council tables $159,675 Dewberry engineering agreement for citywide facility needs study
Summary
Interim city administrator Dennis Carr presented a proposed engineering agreement with Dewberry for a citywide facility needs study at a not-to-exceed $159,675; after questions about scope, inclusion of the fire department and the need for checkpoints, the council unanimously voted to table the item pending a phased cost breakdown.
Interim City Administrator Dennis Carr asked the Washington City Council to approve an engineering agreement with Dewberry to perform a citywide facility needs study at a cost not to exceed $159,675. Carr said the scope had been discussed in earlier years and that the $159,675 figure reflected the current engineering estimate for the planned tasks.
Several council members objected to the current contract scope and cost structure. Alderson Moss said the proposal appeared to move beyond a space-assessment into planning and recommended a pause point so the council could evaluate findings before spending for planning-level work. "There needs to be that kind of safeguard in the middle here to keep those costs in check," Moss said.
Alderson McIntyre pressed for a comprehensive inventory of all city-owned facilities (police, fire, public works, city hall) and asked that the recently rebuilt fire-department property be included or that staff explain why it was excluded. Councilors and staff discussed breaking the work into phases, with an assessment stage (through task 3) followed by a decision point before proceeding to later, more expensive planning or engineering tasks.
Dennis Carr said Dewberry had budgeted for a worst-case scope and that staff could ask the firm to break the tasks and costs into clearer phases. With that direction, Alderson McIntyre moved to table the item and asked staff to renegotiate the contract to provide a phased pricing breakdown; Alderson Martin seconded the motion. The motion to table was approved unanimously.
Councilors emphasized that the study is important but that the city should avoid paying for planning work the council may not authorize. Several members supported a phased approach that ensures the council can review assessment results before committing to design or capital costs.
Next steps: staff will seek a more granular task-and-cost breakdown from Dewberry and return the matter to a future council meeting after negotiations and the requested clarifications.
