Politics & Government

Wentzville Board Fires Splash Station Design Firm

Planning Design Studios, who had been with the project since its early beginnings, will no longer have oversight for the aquatic center's construction.

The construction of Wentzville's new aquatic park, Splash Station, has been a headache for the Board of Aldermen, with unexpected rock causing delays and cost overruns that have nearly depleted the project's contingency funds.

READ MORE: Board Considers Options After Splash Station Overruns Top $190K

The board has agonized over costs, reconsidered the original time frame for construction of all three parks projects and asked over and over who was to blame.

Find out what's happening in Wentzvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Last Wednesday, the board made a big decision.

They fired Planning Design Studio (PDS), the company who designed Splash Station and were charged with overview of the construction process.

Find out what's happening in Wentzvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

During time set aside for a Parks Project Update on the agenda, Public Works Director Doug Lee told the board that work on the pools was progressing: the dive tank was complete, and piping was in the works for the lazy river and splash feature. Electrical work was being done on the park's building, and water lines were installed.

Then Ward 1 Alderman Forrest Gossett asked to speak and he read the following motion:

I move that the City terminate the City-Contractor Agreement for Professional Design Services for the Parks and Aquatic Center Projects dated September 26, 2011 with Planning Design Studio pursuant to Setion 3 of the Agreement, that the City Administrator give notice to the Contractor to such effect, and that the City Administrator be authorized to take all other actions necessary to carry out the intention of this motion.

The vote was 5-1 in favor of the firing, with Sonya Shryock being the only nay vote.

City Administrator Mike McDowell then said that the direction he'd received from the board was to seek out other qualified management firms. He recommended Gartenberg Construction Consulting to assume responsibility for construction oversight at Splash Station.

The new contract will cost the city approximately $87,000.

Ward 2 Alderman Sonya Shryock spoke directly to the audience. "We asked our new city administrator to look at the project and how to make it better," she said, noting that the city's usual procedure is to put the contract out for bids.

"In an emergency case," Shryock said, "Do we go ahead and do this to bring it in faster, more efficiently? That’s the tough question we’re having to ask ourselves right here."

The board voted unanimously to office the Splash Station construction management contract to Gartenberg.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Wentzville