Bella Vista City Council voted unanimously in favor of amending its contract with Clinard Construction Management to build a new Fire Station 3 to include a guaranteed maximum price of $2,450,000.
The price was not previously determined.
According to the contract amendment provided by the city, this means the contract is guaranteed not to exceed $2.45 million.
Mayor Peter Christie emphasized that this is a maximum and the city is not guaranteed to spend this entire amount. During the construction for Fire Station 4, he said, the same construction management firm saved the city $58,000.
A breakdown included with the amendment shows the estimate broken down into categories, the largest portion being site construction at $414,542.26, followed by electrical at $357,436.92, and general requirements -- like labor, permits, bonds, contingencies and other expenses -- at $325,089.61.
Other expense categories included materials, thermal- and moisture-related expenses, doors and windows, finishes, equipment, specialty materials and equipment, furnishings and mechanical components.
Groundwork continues on the property and Mark Clinard, with Clinard Construction, said during the council's work session that the structure is expected to be completed Oct. 1.
"We're not just giving you a fire station, we're bringing you a fully furnished, fully stocked, all you've got to do is bring the people and the firetrucks," he said.
The building has been designed with efficiency in mind, he said, and while some fixtures -- including radiant heating -- have a higher initial cost, they will also be more efficient and save the city money in the long run.
During the meeting, the council also approved an amendment to the city's trails agreement with the POA to make a small addition to the Back 40 trail system.
Christie explained that this addition is an older trail mountain bikers carved roughly two decades ago that happens to run parallel to Flo Ride, a downhill one-way trail that runs alongside a portion of Trafalgar Road and ends at Castleford Drive.
Christie said Flo Ride, according to trail counting devices placed at different points in the system, is the least-used one in the system and it's believed to be because it is a one-way, meaning trail users can't make a short trip down and back.
Trails that see less use require more maintenance as bikes and feet aren't beating down the weeds attempting to grow into them, he said.
By adding this old trail officially to the system, the city can give people a way back up the hill without incurring any costs and hopefully reduce maintenance costs, he said.
The council also discussed clarifying the definition of a special event in city code and a rezoning petition for a property off Trafalgar Road and approved the purchase of three squad cars for $78,000 and a resolution designating disbursing officers for the municipal depository board.
The council elected Doug Fowler mayor pro tem.