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Monica of Harbor Architects says municipal building nearly complete; council hears cost history and remaining $58,583 in project fund
Summary
Harbor Architects reported flooring, ceiling and plumbing are nearly finished with a punch-list walkthrough set for Dec. 20 and final completion expected Jan. 24; staff said the building fund balance is $58,583.31 and that value engineering and five change orders reduced the pretax construction amount to about $2.7 million.
Monica, representing Harbor Architects, told the Cosmopolis City Council on Dec. 4 that the municipal building renovation is approaching closeout: contractors began flooring installation, ceiling tiles and final plumbing work are imminent, a substantial-completion punch-list walkthrough is scheduled for Dec. 20, and the contractor expects to call final completion Jan. 24.
Monica summarized the project’s procurement history. The initial base bid came in at just over $2.9 million; the signed construction contract was about $2.95 million. The project has had five change orders; the first and largest produced about $204,000 in savings through value engineering. After change orders and cost reductions the pretax construction amount currently stands at roughly $2.7 million, Monica said. She added that the contract figures cited do not include sales tax.
Council members and former citizen committee participants asked about specific scope changes. Monica said some site work — including parts of the parking-lot concrete and select remodeling inside the existing building — had been deferred and then partially added back; in places the city will use graded gravel surfaces while matching final elevations for eventual pavement. She also noted a switch to luxury vinyl tile saved money compared with the originally specified sheet vinyl flooring.
Finance staff provided an account-level update tied to the project bond. The fund received $3,000,000 in bond proceeds in 2020; staff reported $58,583.31 remaining in the project fund at the time of the meeting. Vendor payments shown in the report included Harbor Architects at $358,761.93 and Roblins at $2,485,009.23. Staff explained that bond proceeds initially sat in an account that earned little interest and that moving those funds earlier into a governmental investment pool would have earned materially more interest revenue.
Residents who served on the original citizen committee said they felt the final plans differed from the committee’s drawings and that they had not been re-engaged when revisions occurred; Monica said she did not have originals of the committee’s copies but believed some scans existed and that the committee’s early input had guided the design.
Council and staff discussed using state surplus and donated furniture to furnish city hall and volunteer efforts to install fixtures such as evidence lockers and ambulance cabinetry. An inspector reported HVAC and grid inspections were completed and finishing trades (ceiling tiles, painting) were scheduled to avoid rework.
Council members expressed relief that the bonded payments for the year were current and asked staff to track near-term invoice items and funding options if additional payments are required before final completion.
