The vote was 3-0 to award the contract to Vanguard Contractors of Temple. Russell Schneider, District 4 council member, abstained. He said before the meeting he is a potential subcontractor for the project. Tony Jeter, District 1 council member, was not at the meeting.
Vanguard is serving as construction manager at risk on the project.
Temple Mayor Bill Jones III said after the meeting the city has needed the extra space for years, and has been studying the issue and raising money for the project since 2003.
“They desperately need the space,” he said of the water department. “And we are way overcrowded in municipal court.”
He said putting both high-traffic public offices together in the former Compass Bank building, at 401 N. Third St., made good sense.
“For citizen accessibility it is a great location for two services that are very public,” Jones said. “I think this will be more user friendly.”
The council bought the building in March from First Baptist Church for $660,000.
The contract with Vanguard, worth $1,999,557, is contracted as a guaranteed maximum price for the work, City Manager David Blackburn said.
Jones said the cost is appropriate for the work being done.
“I think that’s a very good number for a project like this where it is a renovation of an existing facility,” he said. “I think we got a good deal and we got a good contract.”
He said the facility is expected to open in October 2009.
During a workshop session before the meeting the council spoke out against creating additional drop-off points for residential brush and bulk.
During budget discussions this fall, the council talked about possibly creating two new drop-off locations, but funding was not set up.
Thursday, council members cited the expense of manning the site and construction costs as hurdles for the facilities.
The city has two drop-off recycling sites - one near the Gober Party House on Jack Baskin Drive and the other at the city’s landfill site.
Jones said he received input from residents about the possibility of a curbside recycling program, but the program would not be cost-effective in the city.
