Other action
Also from Tuesday night's Cumming City Council meeting:
• The Parks and Recreation Department’s summer and spring brochures will be printed by Graphic Edge. At $6,100, the Cumming-based company’s bid was the lowest of four, with $10,500 the highest.
• The city renewed its property and liability insurance. The rate was more than $114,400 last year, but increased to nearly $126,000 this year. The change is not because of a higher rate, said Councilman Rupert Sexton. The additional cost is due to the new structures the policy covers, including the city’s $30 million wastewater treatment plant and $15 million intake pipes.
• Cumming has a new ordinance preventing car booting and impoundment businesses. During last month’s meeting, the city approved a 40-day moratorium, allowing time to draft the measure.
-- Jennifer Sami
Just hours after breaking ground on a long awaited aquatic center Tuesday, Cumming officials decided which firms will be handling the bulk of the early work on the facility.
Despite what Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said have been a few bumps along the way, the city is ready to move forward on the center off Pilgrim Mill Road.
The $15 million project has overcome complications from environmental violations dating back to 2008, when the site was first cleared.
When finished, the center will feature one outdoor and three indoor swimming pools.
The city received $10 million from Forsyth County for the aquatic center as part of an agreement involving the 2008 extension of the 1-cent sales tax.
The deal requires that the center be substantially complete before 2012.
During the ground breaking, Gravitt noted he hopes to see the same crowd in 18 months for a ribbon cutting.
The aquatic center took another leap Tuesday night during the city council meeting.
Council awarded contracts totaling about $5.9 million for seven areas of construction.
Waterworks Atlanta will be working on the center's three pools for about $3.19 million.
Thyssen Krupp will handle elevator construction for $60,135, while C&H Mechanical will install plumbing for $358,733. Simplex Grinnell will offer fire protection for $61,532.
Gravitt, who prefers to support Cumming-based firms, seemed disappointed with hiring Middle Georgia Concrete, saying the company "seems like it’s a long way from here.”
But with the next lowest bidder more than $50,000 more expensive, the mayor reconsidered.
Electrical work will come from Faith Technologies for $967,111. Zebra Masonry will handle the masonry for $755,949.
The city was expected to also award a bid for storefront work, but will hold off until April 20.
In explaining the delay, project manager Ray Neal noted some of the prices have risen since “these bids were made last year.”
“Before we go before the council and mayor to award this, we want to make sure we get the best thing for you,” he said.
Gravitt agreed to wait, but stressed that officials "want to make sure there’s not going to be any delays and this is going to be finished on time.”
Neal assured him there would be no delays as a result of pushing the vote back a month. He also offered an update on the project.
“Though we officially broke ground today, we have been moving dirt out there for about a week and a half,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have more [sunny] days like today and like we did last week.”