New center for MFPD and court in sight

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Construction on the new Marble Falls Public Safety Center (PSC) is set to begin next month, following action by the city council Tuesday, Oct. 18, to approve a construction contract.

A contract was approved with STR Constructors, LTD, for $3,482,635 for the new center to house the Marble Falls Police Department and Municipal Court on Avenue N.

“We had six builders submit sealed competitive bids, one of the qualified being the low bidder,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “The official submitted total $3,725,000 and we were able to negotiate that down.”

Jettisoned from the initial plans prepared by architects for the project, R. Gill Architects of Horseshoe Bay, were such items as copper pipe in favor of synthetic plumbing materials and alternate bids for a sally port (controlled entrance) and some covered parking.

“There is nothing in them that will compromise the quality of the project,” said Mayor John Packer.

City staff are projecting the difference between the $3 million in bonds scheduled for the project will be made up in several ways. Selling the Main Street police station and its parking area separately and the sale of 2017 bonds are the primary strategies.

“A the time $3 million in bonds was approved in 2014 the project was just a police station,” said Packer. “That was for a 10,000-square-foot building that is now more than 13,000 square feet and construction costs are higher.

“I think it (approval) is the right thing to do.”

“With your authorization tonight, work could begin in about 15 days,” said Hodge. “If all goes well we hope to break ground on the nine-month construction project in November.”

Rick Kennedy, president of STR Constructors and his project manager, Tom Stanton were on hand to answer questions. Council members, solicitous of local businesses, heard that local sub-contractors already been considered favorably for electrical, HV/AC, landscaping and dirt work and possibly glass.

Also approved after public hearings at the meeting were the ordinance amending utility rates and the ordinance creating a master fee schedule with some amendments to fees.

Business Manager Margie Cardenas reviewed the utility rate schedule chosen by the council.

“The average increase on water is 10.7 percent,” she said. “We now have three tiers for irrigation water where we had only one before.

“Wastewater increase is 10 percent on the base rate and 12 percent on usage.”

Despite lengthy planning and discussion and two public hearings, the mayor and finance director reported a couple of dozen questions and fewer complaints about the increase to pay for bonds to improve both infrastructures.
“Some even asked why we had not decided to make the improvements before,” said Cardenas. “These rates will not be effective until Nov. 16 and bills reflecting the increase will go out in December.”

“The master fee schedule is an effort to put all our fees in a single ordinance that can be amended when necessary,” said Hodge. “Most increases have to do development and engineering services and parks. They will go into effect immediately.”

State Farm Insurance grant

“All those fees will be in one place where they will be easy for citizens to find,” noted Packer.

A highlight of the meeting was the presentation of a check for $10,000—a grant from the State Farm Insurance Company to Marble Falls Fire Rescue for a fire extinguisher training system.

“We are proud to help people in cities all over the U.S.,” said local State Farm agent Shane Stewart at the presentation to Fire Chief Russell Sander. “None is more special than Marble Falls. We are pleased to make this grant for a simulator to teach people to fight fires properly.”

The BullsEye simulator uses laser technology to simulate the discharge of actual extinguishers for a clean, safe and cost-effective training experience.

“Currently, the fire department provides fire extinguisher training using a fuel fire and participants extinguish the fire with an actual extinguisher,” Sander told the council at its last meeting. “The department expends funds to refill the extinguishers. This system realistically simulates a fire using digital means and the extinguisher simulates an actual fire extinguisher. Since this system does not use actual fire, the department is able to provide the training inside for the participants and it is more environmentally friendly.”