A $3 million increase to the cost of moving Pullman City Hall, public comment on a proposed downtown construction moratorium and the annual Pullman Police Department report make up a stacked city council agenda for Tuesday night.
Read the full agenda here, which also includes details of a $40,000 contract to create a Community Development Department plan and a Maintenance & Operations Division strategic plan under Public Works. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 13 in the Council Chambers at Pullman City Hall.
Pullman Radio News reported Friday that bids to remodel the former Encounter Ministries facility on Crestview Drive into a new Pullman City Hall came in 19 percent higher than expected, increasing the anticipated costs for the project by approximately $3 million.
A letter from Design West Architects, which provided the initial estimate, attributes the cost increases to additional site work and expanded project scope as well as higher prevailing wages since 2017. Features added during the design process include a second elevator, updated electrical and security systems, additional private office spaces and landscaping.
“The original project estimates were based on renovations necessary to provide a facility equivalent to the current City Hall,” the letter states. “As the project scope has been developed, there have been a number of additions to the project scope that the original estimate had not included.”
The letter also noted some increases resulted from a delayed bidding process after the city’s first bond levy attempt drew insufficient turnout and officials sought a second vote. Recent discussions about including District Court facilities also delayed the design process. Another design review suggests potential cost-cutting changes.
“The past two years have experienced significant escalation in the cost of materials and labor, and the high demand for contractors have resulted in unpredictable bid results,” the letter states. “There is no indication that this increasing demand will diminish in the near future …”
Pullman Public Works Director Kevin Gardes issued a memo outlining the new estimates and recommending officials draw from reserves to cover the increase. While city officials could reject the bids and reconsider the scope of the project, Gardes warns construction costs would likely continue to increase.
See specific recommendations for bid alternates here.
The memo notes the $10.5 million bond provided $3.5 million to purchase the property from Encounter Ministries. Another $800,000 will go to a Lawson Gardens event facility while $500,000 goes toward a third Pullman Fire station, about $490,000 goes to Design West for its consulting work, and approximately $350,000 goes to equipment and bond fees.
During Tuesday’s meeting, city officials will also accept public comment on a proposed moratorium limiting downtown construction until after the city receives an assessment on future development.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported the City Council recently approved a $122,800 contract with BDS Planning and Urban Design of Seattle to create a downtown master plan. Here’s the scope of that contract and the proposed budget.
City officials will also hear a presentation on the Pullman Police Department’s 2018 Annual Report, which notes an above average increase in crimes against persons in contrast to a significant drop in property crimes.
Forcible sexual offenses doubled from 2017 to 2018, going from 17 cases to 33 cases, according to the report. The 10-year average is about 19 cases. Assault or intimidation cases also rose last year from 183 cases to 209, but both years make a decrease from a high of 318 in 2014.
Property crimes overall dropped from 882 cases to 730 cases in 2018, mostly on significant reductions to vandalism and larceny cases, the report states. Total calls for service dropped by about 450 calls in 2018, from 12,397 to 11,942.
The department also received 1,171 public records requests in 2018, about 500 fewer than the previous year. Read additional details in the full report.