Rogers Aldermen To Review $1.5 Million In Soccer Field Contracts

ROGERS -- Aldermen are poised to spend about $1.5 million Tuesday on amenities for the soccer complex at Veterans Park.

The largest expenditure of $979,000 will go to Benchmark Construction for the concession stand and restroom facilities, a maintenance building and street and parking lot lighting, said David Hook, city facilities development manager.

At A Glance

Meeting Information

The Rogers City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut. Visitors should enter on the northeast side the building. Committee meeting are open to the public and begin at 5:30 p.m.

Agenda items include:

• Setting the property tax rate to be collected in 2015

• Creating a new position at the animal shelter and removing a code officer position

• Authorizing a $977,796 contract with NEC for sidewalk improvements downtown. The money will come from a Community Development Block Grant and bond funds

• Authorizing the purchase of a vacant lot for $20,000. The lot is at the intersection of Fourth and Olrich streets

• Authorizing a $35,000 contract with RTE for design of a roundabout at Second and Olive streets

Benchmark was the lowest qualified bidder on the project.

Hill Electric won the $297,250 contract to handle the electric wiring for the soccer complex. Musco Sports Lighting won the $420,000 contract for the soccer field lights, Hook said.

"These contracts will just about finish the major construction projects for the soccer fields," Hook said.

What's not covered under the contracts aldermen will review Tuesday are the press boxes.

"Some of the amenities cost more than we planned so we are going to have to reduce costs without changing the quality of the soccer complex," said Lance Jobe, city engineer.

Press boxes may be where some of cost can be reduced, he said.

"We are considering building one concrete block press box for the championship field. The other press boxes could be open-air type structures, which should work just as well for the other fields," Jobe said.

Total expenditures for the soccer complex are expected to be about $3.1 million, said Casey Wilhelm, city finance director.

"The money for the contracts was approved by the council in August. Most of the money for the complex is coming from general fund reserves," Wilhelm said.

Most of the money spent on the soccer complex will go back into city coffers from the next drawdown of the 2011 bond issue, she said.

"We are spending a lot of general fund money right now; that's one of the reasons we are working to keep the 2015 budget tight. By end of 2016 our reserve and general fund should be back on track," she said.

The grass soccer fields are nearly completed, and should be ready for play by April of next year, Hook said. The championship field will have an artificial surface and be striped for soccer, football and lacrosse.

NW News on 09/22/2014

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