Rafting park bids exceed estimate

The l ow bid to f i nish the second floor of the MAPS 3 whitewater rafting park's main building exceeds the architects' estimate by 33%. Plans a r e t o c o nver t t he never - finished upstairs into a small conference center and add a deck overlooking the new surfing attraction. The project i ncludes a f our- person zip l i ne crossing above the rafting channels. Eleven contractors submitted bids last week ranging from $3.4 million to $4.3 million. The low bidder was TCS Construction of Norman. It is up to the city council to review the bids and make a decision on awarding a contract.

Of note: The main building's upstairs was left unfinished to save money in 2014 after the city council voted 5-4 to go ahead with park construction. The park has been plagued by construction costs t hat exceeded estimates. The original construction bid was $13.6 million over the city's estimate and the surf machine bid, at nearly $ 2 million, exceeded the budget by $500,000. The surf machine is nearly done and could open in a few weeks.

Park foundation subsidy up for vote

The city council is to vote Tuesday on another $1.5 million subsidy for the Riversport Foundation, which manages the MAPS 3 whitewater park. Approval would br i ng t he total authorized by the council in the past two years to $13 million. More than half that amount is reserved for equipment upgrades and amenities intended to produce operating revenue for the foundation. The new surf machine, zip line, and the main building's second- floor build- out are among those revenue-producing projects. In addition to cash infusions from local taxpayers, the foundation received $750,000 in federal pandemic relief in the spring.

Election revisions proposed

The city council on Tuesday could set in motion plans for a Nov. 3 special election for voters to consider nine amendments to the city charter. A mayor's charter review committee is suggesting the changes. Most are minor, election-related clarifications to align the charter with state law. If the council agrees, a final vote to set the election will be held Aug. 18.

Of note: One amendment would provide for substituting “councilmember” in the charter where “councilman” now appears.

They said it

“Fortunately, we' re not seeing that curve going up, it's been pretty stationary for the last few months.”

— Utilities Director Chris Browning, remarking on the status of overdue water bills. The department suspended shut offs for non payment as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting Oklahoma City in March. Browning says about 11,000 households are behind currently, owing just under $ 5 million. The number of accounts in arrears has held pretty steady since May 1 but the total owed is about 50% higher.

Of note: The city council has allocated several million dollars to pandemic-related individual assistance, for expenses including rent and utility bills.

Present/absent

The mayor and all eight city council members attended the July 21 meeting.

• The council adopted a resolution setting a formal comment period of 20 calendar days, for written comments from citizens on the city manager's proposed annual budget. The budget review already includes four public hearings. Budget hearings generally begin in late April and the budget is adopted in mid-June.

Worth noting: 2020 was an outlier in that dozens of individuals commented on t he Police Department's budget. In the past decade, annual budget hearings have passed with little or no comment from the public.

• The council agreed to a one- year contract with the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority for processi ng and housing Oklahoma City prisoners. The city will pay $45.64 per prisoner per day and estimates it will average 42 prisoners daily at the county jail. The city will pay $113,300 for expedited booking; taking DNA samples and other charges bring the total for the year to $974,800.

Of note: The city manager said fines and fees make up 3.7% of the general fund, the primary account for day-today expenses.

Calendar

The city council meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday via teleconference. For instructions on taking part or commenting on agenda items, look for the agenda under the Government tab at okc.gov.