Council approves asbestos survey contract in preparation of demolition of the former Collin County Courthouse
By Brandi Hart
McKinneyUpdate.com
Created at 5:15 p.m. on May 24, 2009
The demolition of the six-story former Collin County Courthouse on State Highway 5, or McDonald Street, is slowly becoming a reality as McKinney City Council members approved a contract for an asbestos survery on the building, which will preclude the demolition of the building.
The city is planning to demolish the existing six story former Collin County Courthouse at 210 S. McDonald St. and build a 45,000 square foot new, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design government center that will have a city hall and will hold other city offices. The cost is only for an asbestos survey and not for the actual demolition of the building.
At the May 19 council meeting a $12,000 contract with PSI Engineering was approved for the asbestos survey services related to the demolition of the existing Collin County Government Center for phase one of the proposed McKinney Municipal Center.
The council also approved the transfer of $655,000 from the 2009-2013 Capital Improvements Program fund to pay for sediment removal from a lake in the Mallard Lakes subdivision, which is located on the south side of Virginia Parkway, just west of Hardin Boulevard. The city's 2006 bond program dedicated $3 million to be used for all city sediment removal projects.
The council also approved a $585,900 contract with Shirley & Sons Construction Company, Inc. will construct the Mallard Lakes stormwater system maintenance and will help restore the lake.
The council authorized City Manager Frank Ragan to develop an energy efficiency conservation strategy to meet the requirements of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. The strategy must be submitted for approval by the Department of Energy (DOE) in order to apply for the remaining $971,500 in grant funds that are allocated to the city through the Energy, Efficiency, and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECGB). Up to $250,000 of the earmarked funds may be used to develop the strategy. Julie Smith, the city's Director of the Office of Environmental Stewardship recommended using $100,000 of the $1,071,500 total grant to complete an energy efficiency conservation strategy. Should the request be funded, the city will receive $100,000 in the budget for the current fiscal year and potentially, the city could receive as much as $971,500 from the EECBG in 2009-2010 fiscal year, Smith said..
Council member for District 1 Gilda Garza also thanked the city staff for all of their hard work and said she will miss being on council and congratulated her former at-large council opponent in the May 9 election At-large Council member elect David Brooks' win on being elected to the at-large seat. Garza also thanked the McKinney Chamber of Commerce for providing her with many opportunities.
She specifically thanked all the employees of the city's Street Department and Jennifer Fung, Executive Director of the city's Finance Department and Cindy Smith, Deputy Director of the Finance Department for their hard work on ensuring the budget is balanced and the annual award the department receives for its excellence is financial reporting. A tearful Garza also thanked her family for their support of her being on council the last seven years.
Council member for District 4 Ray Ricchi also thanked Garza for her time on council. "I respect you and admire what you've done. I truly believe that it's from the heart," Ricchi said.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cox thanked Garza for her service on council. "Gilda, you are a friend of the city. You spoke from the heart and if someone doubts that, then they don't know you," Cox said.
The May 19 council meeting was also the second to the last meeting for Cox as he opted not to run for re-election. He said that McKinney is very special and everyone needs to treat her that way. Cox also thanked all of the city staff for all of their hard work. He filled in as mayor at the meeting as Mayor Bill Whitfield was absent. However, Cox also said that Whitfield will be missed as he's done some funny things as mayor and sometimes he's misunderstood. Whitfield could not run for re-election as mayor due to term limits and he chose not to run for the at-large seat in the May 9 election.
2008 at-large council candidate and McKinney Economic Development Corporation board member Marta Gore also gave a bottle of wine and flowers to Garza to thank her for serving on the council, and also presented a gift to Cox as May 19 was both of their second to last final meeting.
In other news, the council:
- Authorized the city manager to execute a contract with Tegrity Contractors, Inc. of McKinney for the construction of the Carey Cox Neighborhood School Park and for the reconstruction of the Lacima building located on the park site in the Stonebridge community. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cox recused himself from voting on the issue as the park is named for his late father, long-time McKinney resident Carey Cox.
- Approved a $1,250,000 contract with Tegrity Contractors, Inc. of McKinney for the construction of the Carey Cox Neighborhood School Park and Lacima Building Conversion Project. The Carey Cox Memorial Park will a 10-acre neighborhood school park site located at the southwest corner of Lacima Drive and Stonebridge Drive. The park and neighborhood building are schedule to be completed in December of 2009. Cox recused himself, or stepped down from voting on the issue as the park is named for his late father and McKinney community leader Carey Cox.
During the May 18 work session meeting the issue of when the council would vote on which boards and commissions the newly elected council members and mayor would serve as liaisons. Ragan said after the meeting that the council may vote on the issue at the June 1, but he was not certain as he wanted all of the council members there. Brooks will not be able to attend the June 1 meeting as he will be out of town.
Ricchi said he wanted the council to vote on the council liaison positions for the new council members as soon as possible to ensure representation on all of the boards and commissions.
Council liaison positions serve as liaisons to the boards and commissions and the council member reports back to the entire council about what action the board or commission took. The council member does not have a vote on the board or commission in their liaison role.
The council will next meet at 8:30 a.m. on June 1 in the council chambers where Mayor Brian Loughmiller and Council member for District 1 Don Day will take the oath of office. For more information, call 972-547-7500.
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