The city of Arnold has hired Cochran Engineering of Fenton to design a concrete block building at the city’s Public Works site, 2900 Arnold Tenbrook Road.
It will be used as a wash station, where city vehicles will be cleaned.
Arnold will pay Cochran $40,650 to design the 1,500-square-foot structure and to oversee the bid process for the work and the construction.
“It is something we will work on over the winter,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “We will likely have bids and pick a contractor by early spring. There really is no rush to get that done.”
Cochran also designed two new buildings currently under construction at the Public Works site.
Franklin County Construction of New Haven is expected by the end of the year to finish work on those two projects – a 4,420-square-foot building where the Public Works Department will store its trucks and equipment and a 1,910-square-foot building for the Parks and Recreation Department to use for office space and a workshop.
The wash station will be constructed between those two buildings, Richison said.
“It will fit right in with the job (Public Works Director Judy Wagner) has done cleaning up the Public Works yard and organizing things,” Richison said of the wash station. “We have torn down and rebuilt two buildings there, which was sorely needed. This will be a nice way to finish the investment and upgrades we have made to the Public Works site. It will be a nice facility for our employees and operations.”
City Council members voted 5-0 Sept. 24 to award the design contract for the wash station to Cochran Engineering. Ward 1 Councilman Jason Fulbright and Ward 2 Councilman Brian McArthur were not at the meeting.
The city has budgeted $370,000 for the project. Cochran’s fee will come out of those funds, Richison said.
He said the new station will allow Public Works employees to wash the city’s vehicles better, especially Arnold’s fleet of seven dump trucks used to plow snow and treat streets during the winter.
It also will allow for employees to better wash under the trucks, removing salt buildup that can affect the vehicles’ performance.
Richison said it costs the city about $15,000 each time it has to repair a truck. Arnold spent $28,634 to repair two trucks last fiscal year, which ended Aug 31.
The city also bought a new dump truck this fiscal year. The truck, which is not expected to arrive for about five months, cost the city $141,916.68.
City Council members voted 7-0 Oct. 1 to buy the truck. Fulbright was not at that meeting.