City Of Guymon Moves Forward With Building Projects

Construction can now begin on a new library, fire station and animal shelter following approval of bids for Guaranteed Maximum Price for the projects at Thursday evening�??s city council meeting. The council passed the items by a 3-1 vote, with council member Larry Swager voting no. Mayor Jim Norris was absent.

The council had previously split 2-2 on the projects, and voted to table the items at the April 12 meeting. Time was running out for the bids to be approved, as the price for the animal shelter and fire station was guaranteed only until May 8.

The GMP for the fire station and animal shelter is $6,451,881 �?? about $1.4 million for the shelter and $4.6 million for the fire station. The shelter includes a lift station and a standby generator. The GMP also includes 3 percent in owner�??s contingency fees. The price also includes fixtures and landscaping.

The controversy has been the difference between the previous GMP �?? which was $5,535,000 �?? and the $6.4 million now. The Nash Foundation provided a grant of half-a-million dollars for the animal shelter, plus additional funds from the Nash Foundation totaling a little over $200,000. The rest of the difference would be funded by a loan from City National Bank.

The bid for the library was also accepted by a 3-1 vote, with Swager dissenting.

Petty said the library was being funded in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, so the city was in danger of losing that funding should it delay the construction of the library.

The GMP for the library is a little over $4 million, and includes a lift station that would not only serve the library but Northridge Christian School, immediately north of the library site, as well as landscaping, engineering, furniture, etc.

Council member John Van Meter said he�??s heard from several people about the projects, and 65 percent of those comments were in favor of the projects.