By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
Three out of five new business items at Thursday’s City Commission meeting were related to The Grove Development, which is a housing development and community/senior center planned for an area of Canterbury Street behind the hospital.
The first item was the awarding of a bid for the construction of street, water, stormwater, sanitary sewer, and other infrastructure improvement for 62 lots. A multi-use path would also be constructed and would connect to the Hays Medical Center trail.
Two bids were received. One was from Sporer Land Development and one was from PWC, Inc.
Director of Public Works Jesse Rohr recommended the Commission award the bid to the low bid of Sporer Land Development for $3,027,348.60.
“The development of The Grove is just a huge, huge addition to our community,” Mayor Sandy Jacobs said. “It’s taken a long time. It’s taken a lot of effort on the part of Executive Director (of Grow Hays) Doug Williams and his team to see it come to fruition is very exciting.”
The Commission awarded the bid to Sporer Land Development in a 5-0 vote.
Next, the Commission reviewed the Construction Engineering Services Agreement for The Grove.
Driggs Design Group (DGG) designed and engineered the project. Throughout the project, they will provide services such as daily inspections, soil, subgrade and concrete testing, and stormwater inspections.
“Basically, they’re out there making sure that this job is built per the plans that have been reviewed and approved,” Rohr said. “It’s an important step in the project and as fast-moving and as large of a project as this is, that’ll be an important step.”
DDG’s Engineering Services Agreement costs $100,438. The agreement was approved 5-0.
Finally, commissioners reviewed a Home Rule Ordinance to Approve a Development Agreement and Economic Development Grant for The Grove project.
Since Grow Hays is developing this project through the use of Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) and since the City is required to finance and construct the project infrastructure, a Development Agreement must be established to outline the responsibilities of each party.
As part of the agreement, the City is entitled to all RHID revenues. The project must generate sufficient increment after six years or the City will have the option to take ownership of all the undeveloped lots.
“The City financing and constructing infrastructure for residential developments is not new, it’s not unordinary, this has been done many times with the traditional special assessment approach,” Deputy City Manager Collin Bielser said.
The agreement passed 5-0.
“The partnerships that we have developed and the collaboration that’s happening in this community is just phenomenal,” Jacobs said.
Other new business items:
- Authorization to provide City employees with a triple-option health plan and allow authorization of up to $625 in employer match for employees’ health savings accounts, not to exceed $2,013,000.
- Approval of Charter Ordinance No.33 increasing the Transient Guest Tax to 8.25%
The next City Commission meeting will be at 4:00 p.m. on November 14 at City Hall.