Olivia council approves moving ahead with plans, hires Eng Associates for electric department facility

Olivia — The Olivia City Council voted to move forward with professional services and selected Eng Associates to develop plans for a new Electric Department facility, after a lengthy discussion of alternatives, costs and design needs.

Staff told the council the Planning and Utilities team recommended building a new facility on a predetermined city parcel rather than continue patchwork rentals or dispersed storage. “Overall the staff recommendation is to build a new facility on the land that was already discussed,” a staff member said during the presentation.

Council debate focused on the trade‑offs between renting interim space and constructing a permanent building. One councilor warned of long‑term rental costs and pointed to the city’s prior experience paying roughly $960,000 over 15 years for another leased facility; staff noted that proceeds from the recent Chrysler property sale (identified in the meeting packet) and electric‑fund reserves would fund the project without using the general levy.

Technical requirements shaped the design discussion: tall doors and a center floor drain were identified as necessary to accommodate transformers and larger bucket trucks and to prevent corrosion from road salt. Staff said a minimum functional plan called for a roughly 60‑by‑80‑foot insulated and heated shop area, separate material storage, and a wash/drain area sized to serve taller vehicles.

Several councilors urged exploring lower‑cost options — including using existing city‑owned space, vertical shelving, or short‑term rental space — and asked staff to continue seeking alternatives. Others argued the project had been planned and funded through prior electrical rate decisions and deserved investment to avoid perpetual rental costs. “Renting to me is not an option when we’re getting out of renting with the police department because it doesn’t make sense,” Councilor George Evers said in support of building a permanent facility.

Councilor Ferguson moved and Councilor Evers seconded a motion to proceed with professional services to move the project into design and bidding; the council approved the motion and directed staff to pursue the procurement process. Later in the meeting, after reviewing three proposals for architecture and engineering services, the council voted to retain Eng Associates, the lower‑cost bidder that had an existing plan and borings staff said could be updated to meet the city’s needs.

Staff said the intent is to advertise bids in late February so construction could proceed toward a target of completing the facility by year‑end, subject to bid results and council direction. The project will be funded from electric‑fund reserves and proceeds of the Chrysler sale, rather than the city’s levy, staff said.

Next steps: staff will finalize a professional‑services agreement with Eng Associates, refine the design to accommodate the required door clearances and floor drain, and return to council with contract language and a procurement timeline before issuing construction bids.