The Gilroy City Council on Monday approved more than $770,000 worth of improvements to the Gilroy Community Youth Center, which include resurfacing the center’s basketball courts and constructing disabilities-compliant restrooms and picnic areas.
The Council voted 7-0 to approve the upgrades and to award a Palo Alto firm a management contract for up to $86,000 to oversee the project, which is aided by federal funds, according to a city staff report.
The actual construction will be handled by Fremont-based Calstate Construction, Inc., which submitted the lowest bid.
The successful bid comes nearly one year after the Council gave the OK to refurbish the interim center.
About half of the project’s funding will come from the city’s general fund, while Community Development Block Grants ($463,000) and federal stimulus money ($131,000) will pay for the rest, according to the report.
Because federal funds are included in the project, those funds “come with strings attached,” said David Stubchaer, City of Gilroy senior civil engineer, who along with Public Works Director Rick Smelser wrote the report.
The project includes “stringent and unique requirements,” according the report, such as prevailing wage and affirmative action verifications. The city will contract with Nova Partners, Inc. to make sure the city meets those requirements, Stubchaer said. Nova reports that construction should be completed by May.
The report also states that a partial reimbursement will be made to the city’s general fund thanks to revenue from “the future sale of the old Youth Center building.”
The city is also exploring using federal grant funds from the next fiscal year – $115,000 worth – to complete the improvements.
WORTH NOTING:
• The Council conducted a study session regarding Gilroy’s High-Speed Train Visioning Project, which explores what the community could look like if the bullet train rolls into town at one of two possible locations – downtown and east of U.S. Highway 101. The session was the result of several community workshops held since May, where residents crafted their views of how the areas around the stations could evolve. Community, Design and Environment, which is conducting the project, has released a 128-page evaluation report: http://www.gilroyhighspeedtrain.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Gilroy_HST_Eval_Report.pdf
• Gilroy Police Department Chief Denise Turner and Capt. Kurt Svardal were on hand to provide details to the Council about a series of raids last Thursday morning that netted more than 30 arrests, including some known gang members. “Hopefully you guys are enjoying the benefits of this,” Svardal said.
• The Council conducted interviews with candidates who are hoping to fill 16 open spots on 10 city commissions.
• Councilman Peter Leroe-Munoz was appointed, by a 7-0 vote, to the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority.
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