The Pine Bluff City Council voted 5-3 Monday to approve an additional $222,821 to Cline Construction Group to upgrade the Joe Thomas Public Safety Complex.
Aldermen George Stepps, Glen Brown Jr., Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Charles Boyd and Mayor Debe Hollingsworth voted for this measure. Aldermen Glen Brown Sr., Steven Mays and Thelma Walker voted against it. Alderman Bill Brumett was absent.
The Joe Thomas Public Safety Complex houses the Pine Bluff Police Department and Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services Department employees. Employees moved out in late 2014 to allow for renovations.
The council had previously approved $2,555,718 toward this project, including $178,466 beyond an original contract of $2,377,252. The latest adjustment brings the total to $2,778,539.
The money comes from the five-eighths cents tax reserve.
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Walker objected to Hollingsworth bypassing the ways and means committee. Hollingsworth said she followed protocol by holding an emergency meeting of the council.
“If I were the contractor who bidded but did not get the job, I would sue the city,” Walker said immediately after the meeting.
Architect Fred Reed of Reed Architectural Firm, Dave Sadler of Nelson Architectural Group and Richard Taylor of Nelson Architectural Group requested the money on behalf of Cline Construction Group. Taylor said he does not expect to ask for more money with the possible exception for work related to moving dirt.
“The dirt cannot support the weight of concrete and firetrucks,” Taylor said. “Apart from the dirt, I am confident these prices are adequate to complete the job.”
Glen Brown Sr. told these men they are being unprofessional and called for an investigation.
“Everything should have been on the initial bid,” Glen Brown Sr. said. “This is an insult to the city of Pine Bluff. … I think this budget adjustment is bogus.”
Sadler said these costs have accrued since April.
“There has been more discovery of deferred maintenance and undisclosed issues,” Sadler said.
Reed responded they cannot foresee problems before they start. Reed said Cline will finish within 60 days.
Mays asked Pine Bluff Finance Director Steve Miller how much money was in the five-eights cent reserve. Miller responded about $397,000 as of late October.
Mays said this money is not being committed to citizens. Stepps said citizens might not see how the council spends their money but that does not mean they are not spending it correctly.
The budget adjustment breaks down as $50,187 for heating/ventilation/air conditioning; $34,505 for telephones; $26,474 to remove bad soil; $25,255 for gravel bed and plaza deck repair; $18,942 for video surveillance; $15,380 for an interrogation system; $15,059 in electrical; $11,153 in painting and cosmetics; $9,383 in ceiling repair; $8,147 in masonry; $4,513 in plumbing; and $3,823 in doors/hardware.
Cline Construction Group CEO Ernie Cline did not return a phone call by press time.
The Commercial reported in an article Sunday that the council was scheduled to balance the proposed 2016 budget at the special meeting Monday. That was incorrect. The council will actually meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday to review committee changes and balance the 2016 budget.
Mayor Debe Hollingsworth has proposed a budget of $29,459,937 in 2016 expenditures. The city council committees have proposed adding a total of $198,923.