Council weighs scaled-back rebuild of Beatty Park shelter, seeks redrawn plans

Council Member Albaugh outlined plans to remove the back wall and reconfigure the Beatty Park shelter to create an open 45-by-40-foot space for presentations and events. He said a contractor had provided a rough estimate of about $105,000 for the work, and that when contingencies are added the project would be approximately $8,900 short of the assembled budget.

"So out of that $105,000, and we add it all up with the contingency, we're about $8,900 short to putting a roof on that demoing that back, making a nice area," Council Member Albaugh said. He asked City Manager Jim Mavromatis to ask the city engineer or architect, Mike Thompson, to redraw the plans and said the city could then put the project out for bid, reserving the option to reject bids.

Law Director Costa Mastros and Council Member Mayo raised procedural concerns about procurement when project costs exceed $75,000. "You would have to bid it out," Law Director Mastros said, noting that an initial eyeball estimate does not by itself supply full engineering specifications for a formal bid package. Council members discussed the risk that an estimator who provided the initial figure could not simply be assigned the contract if the project requires formal bidding.

Council members also discussed materials and labor choices in the original design—tongue-and-groove boards and stick-built trusses—and how changing to a gable roof and different materials could reduce labor costs. No formal motion to authorize construction was recorded; the transcript records a direction to pursue redrawn plans and later put the work out to bid.