City Council hears Public Safety Complex Issues at Special Meeting
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Eagle Pass City Council addressed two items regarding the City of Eagle Pass Public Safety Complex at their Tuesday, January 22, 2015, special meeting held at City Hall in Eagle Pass, Texas, including a slight name change to the facility as the City of Eagle Pass Public Safety Headquarters.
During the special meeting, Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu opened up agenda item No. 4 calling for the discussion and possible action on the recommendations of the Public Safety Complex Oversight Committee regarding the proposed schematic designs of the Police and Fire Stations and proposed name change of the Public Safety Complex.
Eagle Pass City Manager Gloria Barrientos stated that the City’s Public Safety Complex Oversight Committee had set recommendations to be considered for approval by City Council.
City Manager Barrientos advised City Council that “The Oversight Committee met last week with the architects and during the discussion there was a proposed name change from the Public Safety Complex to the Public Safety Headquarters. Also the architects have proposed that instead of building two floors that we add to the building at the same level. The Committee does recommend that we do not add a second level and that we go with the recommendations of the architect to do the addition at the same level.”
Barrientos noted that this change to a one-level building would provide some savings and solve certain issues concerning the height of the ceiling, the installation of an elevator, and lighting (illumination) issues.
Rogelio Hernandez, a representative of Gignac & Associates Architects, was on hand and addressed some of those issues and recommendations with the City Council.
Hernandez presented the specifics and details of the proposed plans and recommendations being presented to City Council.
“It is our professional opinion that it would be a better solution that we go with the exterior addition (one level),” said Hernandez.
Hernandez pointed out that as it stands right now that if a second floor was added that it would have a shallow ceiling between 7 to 8 feet depending on the adjustments done.
City Council discussed how much money would the City save as a result of these changes (one level) and why had it not been foreseen until all the plans have been drafted and set.
The new proposed changes (one level) would add to the size of the building, expanding it to almost 24,000 square feet of space.
The City Council unanimously approved to change the schematic design of the exterior addition option for the police station and to include the changing of the three base of the Fire Station to a two base and the proposed name change from Public Safety Complex to Public Safety Headquarters.
The renovations for the City of Eagle Pass Public Safety Complex (Old National Guard Armory) were approved by the City Council as part of the issuance of $8,485,000 (million) in tax exempt obligations or bonds for improvements to municipal buildings, infrastructure, street and construction projects, and programs at a special meeting held on Tuesday, October 22, 2013.
Of the $8.485 Million Bonds, $2 Million were designated for the renovation of the National Guard Armory Building as the new headquarters of the Eagle Pass Police Department’s Public Safety Complex and Fire Station.
A second agenda item discussed regarding the City’s Public Safety Complex was agenda item No.5 which called for discussion and possible action on the recommendations of the Public Safety Complex Oversight regarding certain reimbursable expenses (Public Safety Consultant and Civil Engineer) submitted by Gignac & Associates pursuant to its professional services agreement with the City of Eagle Pass.
City Manager Barrientos advised City Council that this item was to address two anticipated contracts, one for the Public Safety Consultant and another for the Civil Engineer.
Barrientos stated that at present time there was no action required and that there is information still pending and that the issue was to be discussed and voted on by the Public Safety Committee and then brought back to City Council at a future meeting for its approval. These two additional contracts will increase the cost of the project.
The City Council agreed to table the agenda item.
Other agenda items approved by the City Council at the January 20, 2015 special meeting were the third and final reading of an Ordinance amending the 2014-2015 budget adopted by Ordinance No. 2014-16 to appropriate funds to hire an engineer for the Carthage Place storm drainage project as part of Texas Community Development Block Grant Contract No. 713140; and provide.
Another item that was discussed and approved was a resolution of the City Council of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas, authorizing the use of competitive sealed proposals as the method of purchase that provides the best value to the municipality for the construction services related to the Carthage Place Drainage project.