Casa Grande staff outline $118 million bond plan; council signals support for building aquatics center and Ed Hooper fields concurrently

Casa Grande staff used a council study session to lay out the implementation plan for voter-approved general obligation bond projects and to ask for council direction on sequencing and procurement.

Mayor Lisa Fitzgibbons opened by inviting residents to a public-safety open house and framed the bond work as part of broader community planning. "This is your opportunity to meet your police and fire teams, learn more about these efforts, and share your questions and feedback," she said.

Danny Gallegos, who led the presentation, briefed the council on near-term procurement steps. He said the request for qualifications for design services has been issued and that "the deadline for that is May 8th." Gallegos said the city will interview designers, form a panel as required by law and return to council with contract recommendations for design services before moving to contractor procurement.

Staff explained the program scope and schedule tradeoffs. The package covers three bond issuances that include the McCartney Road project plus parks and recreation projects, with total bond issuances of $118 million. Staff presented two sequencing options: Option A would run both the Ed Hooper fields and the aquatics project concurrently (staff estimated an approximate tax-rate impact of $1.15 for the life of the bond), while Option B would phase the projects and produce a higher near-term peak rate (presented as a gradual rise to about $1.68 before declining through 2048).

Gallegos offered a homeowner example to illustrate household impact: a home assessed at $250,000 would pay about $300 per year under Option A, versus about $420 per year at the peak under Option B. He cautioned schedules are aggressive projections that depend on designer and contractor input.

Ted Hawkins, introduced as project manager, described early site work and utility coordination: "I've had some preliminary meetings with APS and field personnel with Arizona water to try to get a handle on both the aquatics and the sports field complex," he said, noting long-lead items such as transformers, pumps and field lighting that staff plans to address during design.

Staff also described a construction-manager-at-risk procurement approach: hire designers first to help scope projects and sit on the contractor-selection panel, pursue early guaranteed maximum price (GMP1) approvals for long-lead procurement, and later return with a GMP2 for construction authorization.

Several council members referenced the 2006 bond program and urged clarity and visible progress so voters see results sooner rather than later. Multiple councilmembers voiced a preference for Option A (concurrent sequencing) to show faster delivery and to avoid additional cost escalation. A staff speaker summarized the session's intent: the council was being asked for direction rather than a final vote that night.

Staff identified practical risks and next steps. They warned that unforeseen subsurface or utility issues at a site can add time and cost, citing other cities' experience; staff plans site visits to recently completed facilities in Marana, Queen Creek and Surprise to gather lessons learned. The RFQ review and interviews are expected to occur after the May 8 submission date, with a designer selection and subsequent return-to-council for contract approval anticipated in mid-June. Staff also said it will prepare a financial and operational analysis for the council to review (timed for the first half of the next fiscal year) because bond proceeds cannot fund ongoing operating costs.

No formal motion or binding vote was taken at the study session; staff will return with RFQ recommendations, contract language and budget/operational analyses for future council action.