Council moves to align recreation center budget and hires construction manager for youth facility

City staff told the council on Jan. 5 that the agreed total project cost for the Wilson Morgan Recreation Center is $52,500,000 and presented a budget amendment to bring the city’s books into formal alignment so the city can issue purchase orders and pay vendors. Staff described the change as a formality to match contractor records and emphasized contingency remains in the project budget.

Separately, staff recommended approving a construction manager contract with Fite Construction for the proposed Decatur Youth Services Facility (DYS). Purchasing staff described an RFQ process that drew roughly a dozen responses and three finalists; teams visited the site and staff recommended Fite based on proposals and interviews.

Council discussed contingency and the need for continued reporting as the projects progress. The resolutions to authorize the budget amendment and the construction‑management contract were presented for council approval in the Jan. 5 session.