Copperas Cove city council approves nearly $900,00 design/build agreement for parks restrooms project

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove City Council unanimously approved selecting G. Hyatt Construction, Inc. to be the design/build firm for the City Parks restroom project during its regular meeting Tuesday evening. 
After a long-awaited process, the project will finally be moving forward, with an approved contract worth $897,200. 
The contract states that the project will include “improvements constructed on the Property consisting of a total of five buildings: one building containing a concession room, storage room, and two restrooms, and four buildings containing two restrooms each, including the design and preparing site, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical design plans constructed in accordance with the Plans and Specifications hereinafter described.”
The four buildings containing two restrooms each will be located at Field 1, Field 4, Field 6 and Field 8. . 
The Pre-Construction Phase services will cost a total of $144,450 and will include the Conceptual Design, Development and Plans and Specifications, while the remaining cost will total $752,750, for a total cost of $897,200. 
At this point, no timeline has been released for when construction will actually begin on the new facilities.
The city council also approved awarding a bid for emergency medical supplies and pharmaceutical supplies to Henry Schein Medical, for a total cost of $56,204.94. The contract will be for five years, with a one-year renewal option, effective June 1, 2021 through June 1, 2026. 
The council also authorized the city manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Jones-Heroy & Associates, Inc. (JHA) for the design and construction-phase services for the South Main Vitrified Clay Pipe (VCP) Replacement Project. This project is to replace aging clay pipe as outlined in the Wastewater Master Plan in order to maintain TCEQ compliance, reducing inflow and infiltration, root intrusion and pipe cracking. The cost is not exceed $120,200, which will be funded with part of the 2020 Certificates of Obligation bond funds.
There were also several public hearings held regarding ordinances amending the Future Land Use Plan and rezoning requests, all of which were approved by the city council. 
The first two public hearings were for requests by Mitchell & Associates, Inc., representing Oak Cove Development LLC, for the Smith Homes Addition, amending the FLUP map from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential and rezoning from B-5 (Commercial Services District) to R-2 (Two-Family Residential District). 
The next two public hearings were for requests by Mitchell & Associates, Inc., representing South Cove Development, Inc., to reconfigure a portion of Ordinance No. 2020-46 for the Village at Walker Place, Phase 2 from Medium Density Residential and Retail to Public and to modify the abutting right-of-way from Retail to Medium Density Residential and to rezone the property from R-2 (Two-Family Residential District) and B-4 (General Retail District) to PF (Public Facilities) and the abutting right-of-way from B-4 (General Retail District) to R-2 (Two-Family Residential District). 
The final two public hearings were for requests by the Boys and Girls Club of Coryell County, to amend the property at 206 Laura St., from Retail to High Density Residential and to rezone the property from B-4 (General Retail District) to R-3 (Multifamily Residential District). 
During the workshop meeting, Mayor Bradi Diaz declared the week of May 16 to May 23, 2021 to be National Public Works Week. 
Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful recognized its two recipients of the KCCB Scholarships, Arianna Eseroma and Parker Reed. Each received a scholarship of $1,000.
The Copperas Cove Police Department also recognized the recipients of this year’s Chief Tim Molnes Scholarship: Isabella Avilla, Nadia Cisneros, Alexcia Gaines, Mikayla Jackson, Melodie Reed and Savanna Walker, with $1,000 scholarships.