There were no specific discussions scheduled for the $17 million in budgeted expenses on Tuesday’s Buckeye City Council agenda.
However, council members decided to exercise their option to talk about a few of them.
About $17 million in previously budgeted items were on the consent agenda, with no separate action items on the rest of Tuesday’s agenda.
However, Mayor Eric Orsborn and other councilors decided to break off three of the eight most-expensive projects for discussion, per procedure.
Council eventually approved all the projects on the agenda unanimously.
The council discussed, at length, a contract with Haydon Building Corp. for intersection improvements along Verrado Way from Yuma Road to Van
Buren. Haydon had the lowest of five area bids at $3.92 million for the project.
The intersection currently is one travel lane in each direction with some turn lanes at intersections. However, commuter traffic has created backups in the area at certain times on weekdays.
Construction and Contracting Manager Chris Williams explained to councilors that while a lane will be added in each direction to Verrado Way, from Yuma to Van Buren, there are no plans to add travel lanes to Yuma Road.
Williams said the intersection will be raised by three feet to prevent flooding, and light poles will be placed at their final locations. However, the city is not authorized to build pavement out as far as staff would like.
“City staff is still working with the [Federal Aviation Administration] in order to procure the needed right of way,” Williams said. “The cost of delaying would be more accidents, more complaints about the back-ups.”
Some traffic congestion on eastbound Yuma Road this year was caused by drivers avoiding construction and lane closures along Interstate 10, Williams said.
“That intersection is a real pinch point,” Orsborn said.
Council also discussed applying for a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for future firefighter expenses. While there isn’t a backup plan to fund firefighters’ salaries at a yet-to-be-built new fire station, the first step is to apply for a federal grant.
The largest item approved Tuesday, a maximum price guarantee for Sunrise Park Phase II, is part of an anticipated cost the city has factored into its budgets for at least the past two fiscal years. Willmeng Construction Inc. will manage construction for the phase, which has a maximum price guarantee of $10.7 million.
The construction includes the north parking lot, playground, splash pad, ramadas and amenities, restroom, concrete sidewalk and north fields.
The Brycon Corp. was chosen to build a public safety radio communication tower for about $971,000. Council approved this expense as part of its regular consent agenda. Orsborn recused himself from voting without specifying his conflict.
Despite a recent council approval to hire more permanent staff, especially in Development Services, the department requested temporary labor budgets to hire consulting firms to catch up on building inspections, plan review and other project-related services.
The department will award a $543,000 contract to SHUMS Coda Inc. and a similar $76,000 contract with Brown & Associates.
Buckeye spokesperson Annie DeChance pointed out that council approved two additional full-time Development Services employees at its Jan. 18 meeting, along with six additional combined FTEs spread between Engineering, Community Services and Water Resources.
A professional planning services to provide a Buckeye Airport, to help make improvements related to its Comprehensive Specific Area Plan, with Matrix Design Group, Inc., will cost the city $200,000.
Council also approved more than 40 on-call contracts in 21 engineering specialty fields, with costs to be determined “as funded and developed.”
DeChance explained the policy for how the council items end up on a regular meeting agenda.
“All council agenda items are tracked and approved by the City Clerk’s office through a secure online portal,” she said. “Every department director, or a designee, are authorized to add agenda items.”
Agenda items must include information such as how the item aligns with the council’s set goals, benefits to the city, whether any future action is required, financial impacts and whether the item is funded in the current budget.
“Once these items are completed, it is submitted for approval,” DeChance said. “Final approval for all items comes from the city manager.”
DeChance said all documentation must occur approximately 30 days before a council meeting date. For example, all documents for the April 5 council meeting must be submitted by March 9.
Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.
He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.
Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.
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