Progress contingent on Sletten's ‘value engineering'The Powell City Council on Monday evening voted four to two in favor of drafting a letter of intent to contract with Sletten Construction of Wyoming to build the new family aquatic center.Councilmen John Wetzel, Josh Shorb, Jim Hillberry and Rex Sanders voted in favor of the motion, with Councilmen Tim Sapp and Mark Senn casting the two dissenting votes. Mayor Scott Mangold also voted in favor of drafting the letter.The letter will make the intent to contract contingent upon Sletten's ability to ‘value engineer' its aquatic center construction bid down to a number acceptable to a majority of the council.In moving forward with Sletten's low bid, the city effectively decided to go against the recommendation by Burbach Aquatics, Inc., the project designer and engineer, to re-bid the project.“We have a fear that this is going to cost us a lot more money. A fear that no one is going to want to bid this project. A fear that we're going to have to restart from square one, and I don't want to do that,” said Mayor Mangold.Project manager Nancy Ronto, of Burbach Aquatics, added, “If the city moves to (work out an agreement with the low bidder), Burbach will do its best to work with whatever company is chosen to do the work.”The letter will be drafted by Burbach Aquatics and it will be voted on by the city council, possibly as early as next week.Members of the pool committee appointed by Mayor Mangold were pleased that the project is moving forward — even if that progress is slow.“I'm glad that they voted the way they did last night,” said committee member Teri Oursler. “I'm glad they seemed to be going forward.”Committee co-chairman David Blevins added, “The community aquatic center is for the good health of our families, schools, kids, seniors … everyone in our community. We are committed to making Powell a healthy community, and the aquatic center does that. Conducting the value engineering at this point in the process is a good plan. It is law that the aquatic center be built.”

Progress contingent on Sletten's ‘value engineering'The Powell City Council on Monday evening voted four to two in favor of drafting a letter of intent to contract with Sletten Construction of Wyoming to build the new family aquatic center.Councilmen John Wetzel, Josh Shorb, Jim Hillberry and Rex Sanders voted in favor of the motion, with Councilmen Tim Sapp and Mark Senn casting the two dissenting votes. Mayor Scott Mangold also voted in favor of drafting the letter.The letter will make the intent to contract contingent upon Sletten's ability to ‘value engineer' its aquatic center construction bid down to a number acceptable to a majority of the council.In moving forward with Sletten's low bid, the city effectively decided to go against the recommendation by Burbach Aquatics, Inc., the project designer and engineer, to re-bid the project.“We have a fear that this is going to cost us a lot more money. A fear that no one is going to want to bid this project. A fear that we're going to have to restart from square one, and I don't want to do that,” said Mayor Mangold.Project manager Nancy Ronto, of Burbach Aquatics, added, “If the city moves to (work out an agreement with the low bidder), Burbach will do its best to work with whatever company is chosen to do the work.”The letter will be drafted by Burbach Aquatics and it will be voted on by the city council, possibly as early as next week.Members of the pool committee appointed by Mayor Mangold were pleased that the project is moving forward — even if that progress is slow.“I'm glad that they voted the way they did last night,” said committee member Teri Oursler. “I'm glad they seemed to be going forward.”Committee co-chairman David Blevins added, “The community aquatic center is for the good health of our families, schools, kids, seniors … everyone in our community. We are committed to making Powell a healthy community, and the aquatic center does that. Conducting the value engineering at this point in the process is a good plan. It is law that the aquatic center be built.”