Fort Smith directors approve elevator upgrades for IT, Utilities building

April 17-- Apr. 17--Upgrades at 801 Carnall Ave., commonly called by city staff as the Carnall Building, will soon be underway after a brief delay.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted 7-0 Tuesday, approving an updated contract with thysenkrupp Elevator Co. to repair the building's elevator and bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Utilities Director Jerry Walters previously told the board there have been multiple stretches of time when the elevator wasn't operational. Director of Information and Technology Services Russell Gibson confirmed this Tuesday.

Gibson said there have been instances of people getting stuck in the elevator, and if a part breaks, a replacement would not be available.

Ward 4 Director George Catsavis asked if the city was taking a gamble approving the resolution if there wouldn't be any new parts. The company, however, created a specific design for the building.

"They're going to replace it," Gibson said. "It's going to be brand new. All that will be left is the shaft."

The board approved in February a $175,000 contract with thysenkrupp, but after closer evaluation by the city's legal counsel and City Clerk Sherri Gard, it was determined the project needed to go out for bid.

Gibson wrote in a memo this was determined because the project is taking place in a public facility. A request for proposal was issued and thysenkrupp was the only respondent.

The new bid price, including all additional work such as plumbing, electricity and fire safety modifications, is approximately $223,000. It also includes costs for payment and performance bonds, one-year warranty and taxes.

When the original resolution was approved, the attached memo indicated there would be an additional cost of $15,000 to $20,000 for ancillary project requirements. It did not include, however, the new costs. There will also be a yearly maintenance contract with the company.

The building, originally the city's public library, was built in the '60s and needed to be upgraded. Gibson's department employs 15 people, which is partially why it's been able to get by with a partially functioning elevator.

Gibson said the Utilities Department, however, is moving into the building and will bring the total of employees to approximately 100. There will also be additional citizen traffic due to billing services being moved from the Finance Department to Utilities at the beginning of the year.

"Now we have ADA requirements, and that's why we need to bring the elevator up to date -- not only for safety but for efficiency," Gibson said.

The current contract is for 200 days, pending any additional setbacks, and the project is slated to be completed before the end of the year.

The board also approved a final payment of $8,600 for HVAC upgrades at the building, which was originally requested and approved by the board on July 18, 2017.

"Due to the age of the building and an inadequate and inefficient climate environment, the HVAC upgrades were necessary in order to achieve significant heating and cooling efficiencies for employee comfort," Walters said in a memo to City Administrator Carl Geffken.

Piping connections to hot and chilled water coils, modification to existing air ducts, new hot and cold deck air units and new thermostats, among other changes, were included in the project.

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