Fort Smith Board of Directors news in brief
Resolutions permit bridge, road work
FORT SMITH — The Fort Smith Board of Directors during its regular meeting Tuesday approved two resolutions regarding a project to replace the Jenny Lind Road bridge over the upper crossing of Mill Creek north of Interstate 540 and to resurface Jenny Lind Road between Harvard Drive and Market Trace.
These included a resolution to accept a bid from Mobley Contractors Inc. and authorize a construction contract with the company for the project, and another to authorize an amendment to the engineering services agreement the city has with Hawkins-Weir Engineers Inc. for the same project.
City Engineering Department Director Stan Snodgrass explained in a memo that Hawkins-Weir prepared construction plans and specifications for the project.
Four bids were received on Jan. 28. The Morrilton-based Mobley Contractors had the lowest bid at $1,714,237.36, which was the only one below the engineers’ estimate of $2 million.
A materials notice to proceed will be issued March 3 to allow Mobley to order the bridge materials before June 1, which, according to Snodgrass, is the date of the construction notice to proceed.
“Removal and replacement of the bridge will require a 45-day temporary closing of the section of Jenny Lind Road between Harvard Avenue and the southbound on/off ramps of I-540 between June 1, 2020 and July 15, 2020,” Snodgrass wrote. “The total contract duration of 180 days will start on June 1, 2020 with a scheduled completion date of November 27, 2020 for the complete project.”
The amendment to the agreement with Hawkins-Weir increased the contract amount by $22,690 to a total of $97,490, according to the resolution authorizing it. Snodgrass wrote that the amendment is associated with additional final design, advertising and bidding, and construction management services.
2 streetlights going to museum custody
FORT SMITH — The board approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a gift and maintenance agreement with the United States Marshals Museum to accept ownership of two streetlights located on the west side of Riverfront Drive.
Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman in a memo wrote the U.S. Marshals Museum, which is under construction at 789 Riverfront Drive, installed light poles at its two driveways to illuminate them and provide ambient lighting on the property. The poles had to be installed within the right of way of Riverfront Drive, which, due to the road serving as Arkansas 255, belongs to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Although the department will grant a special use permit to install such lights in the state’s right of way to a municipality, Dingman wrote it will not bestow one to a private entity.
As a result, the Marshals Museum presented a gift and maintenance agreement conveying ownership of the poles to the city.
However, the museum will bear all costs associated with the poles and lights, with it being required to perform any maintenance and supply them with electrical service.
Dingman said the city will apply for the special use permit after accepting ownership of the light poles.
City parking garage payment approved
FORT SMITH — The directors approved two resolutions regarding repairs to the city parking facility on Rogers Avenue.
The first was a resolution authorizing a change order with Western Specialty Contractors for the project that increased the contract amount by $19,757 to $226,034 in total. The second resolution was to accept the project as complete and authorize a $22,603.40 final payment to Western Specialty Contractors for it.
In a memo, Fort Smith Purchasing Manager Alie Bahsoon wrote the project had a start date of October 2019 and was substantially complete on Jan. 24. During that time, the parking garage underwent major structural repairs.
This included “repairs of cracks and spalling [flaking or chipping] in the concrete topping slab, repairs of damaged double-tee flange connectors, replacement of deteriorated and/or missing sealant at all joints on the second and third levels, installation of double-tee connectors, installation of traffic coating, epoxy injection, and other related work.”
Bahsoon further explained the original project specifications were drawn up and based on inspections conducted by Little Rock-based James Engstrom & Associates in April 2018.
However, the time elapsed between these inspections and the project start date led to additional concerns requiring immediate attention, which, in turn, necessitated a change order for the extra repairs.
Sanitation agency to get new devices
FORT SMITH — The board approved four separate resolutions authorizing the purchases of four pieces of equipment for the Department of Sanitation.
They are an industrial roll-off truck for $182,388, a commercial front loader for $297,559.89, a residential side loader for $323,347.78 and a landfill skid steer for $45,299.23. All of this equipment is from 2020 and costs a total of $848,594.90.
Sanitation Director Kyle Foreman said in a memo the department’s purchase of this equipment is in accordance with both the sanitation capital improvement plan and the operating budget for this year. All of this will be replacing older equipment.
“For 2020 we are switching to a different cab/chassis and body manufacturer for the commercial front loader and automated side loader,” Foreman said.
“This switch will increase the life of these trucks from seven to 10 years. The cab/ chassis manufacturer has numerous diagnostic features that will benefit our fleet division greatly. All the references, public and private, I talked to who run this setup all had the same great things to say.”