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Council moves to advance CMAR authorization for Justice Center; staff outlines resurfacing priorities and small budget line changes
Summary
Council discussed authorizing a construction manager at risk (CMAR) for a Justice Center project, describing benefits and administrative steps, and received a public‑works update on 2025 resurfacing completion, a proposed partial mill‑and‑fill on Edgewood for under $80,000, and a 2027 resurfacing priority list; council also reviewed amendments to create water and sewer general‑construction lines tied to the municipal center.
Council members discussed a range of capital‑project and street‑maintenance items in committee, including authorization to advertise for a construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the Justice Center, a staff update on resurfacing work from 2025 and planning for 2026–27, and amendments to budget lines tied to municipal center utility shares.
On the Justice Center, staff and counsel advocated for the CMAR (construction manager at risk) delivery model, saying it transfers project risk from the owner to the construction manager, improves coordination among trades and supports early cost containment leading up to GMPs. As one presenter put it, the CMAR model “transfers the risk for the project away from the project owner and gives it squarely to the construction manager who holds all the subcontractor contracts.” Staff warned that even if the council accepts the authorization, there will still be 2–3 months of administrative work (RFQ issuance, selection, onboarding) before a CMAR is fully on board.
Public‑works staff (Quentin Pratt) reviewed 2025 resurfacing work — including the Gay Street parking lot, Spice Alley and projects funded by the Coshocton Avenue TIF — and said many 2026 resurfacing items were deferred into 2027 because of other construction activity and funding uncertainty. For immediate repair needs, Pratt proposed a targeted, seven‑foot mill‑and‑fill on the east side of Edgewood Road for about $79,000 to address edge cracking and drainage, plus spot full‑depth repairs. Pratt also said staff applied for an ODOT small‑city grant (about $1.6 million requested) that would fund resurfacing on Edgewood Road and several federal‑aid routes; he cautioned competition for limited statewide funds.
Council also heard an amendment to resolution 2026‑73 that would remove several items and create two budget lines to record the water and wastewater funds’ share of municipal‑center construction costs; staff said this allows the utilities to shoulder their proportionate share rather than place the full cost on the general fund. The chairs indicated they would take the legislation to third reading to process the lines and supplemental appropriations.
Why it matters: the CMAR decision sets the delivery model and risk allocation for a major municipal facility; resurfacing plans and the Edgewood repair affect near‑term street safety and local travel; the budget‑line changes allocate utility fund responsibility for portions of municipal‑center construction.
Next steps: staff will issue RFQs and continue CMAR selection steps if the council advances the authorization; the Edgewood mill‑and‑fill work was proposed as a no‑bid contract under the budget threshold; the utility‑fund lines will return for third‑reading consideration.
