Kennewick staff to extend city hall RFP timeline, explore adding pool to master plan

City Manager Urban recommended that the city extend the timeline for the city hall request for proposals and direct the consultant to further vet three high-level master-plan concepts while adding a focused look at siting a replacement aquatic facility within the civic campus. Urban told the council the concepts are preliminary and not final designs and said the additional time would allow staff and consultants to evaluate agreements and costs related to the museum and other campus uses.

Urban said staff is "recommending that we provide direction back to the consultant to stay the course with the existing city hall RFP and the current scope, authorizing the consultant to extend the project timeline modestly to allow additional time to vet the 3 master plan concepts, add focus emphasis on pool replacement siting within the campus master plan," and return with refined options in June. Council members asked for a short recap of that recommendation and clarification about financing; Urban said bonding would likely fund a new city hall while reserve funds could be considered for a pool expansion but cautioned that final funding decisions will depend on later cost estimates.

Several council members said they supported the approach as a way to keep options open. Council member Milbauer and others voiced support for staff's recommendation; Council member Trumbo asked where the money would come from and emphasized the city's budget constraints. Urban said the consultants would return on June 23 with updated options and staff would then seek a direction to refine one final concept for a July presentation.

The council's consensus allows the consultant to continue work under the RFP with a modest schedule extension and to include the aquatic facility in master-plan considerations; it does not itself commit funding or a final site.