City Hall approved for new flooring; CIP money to fund project

The Guthrie city council unanimously approved for City staff to solicit bids for the replacement of flooring on all three floors of the building, which includes the police department. The estimated cost is approximately $45,000 and will be paid with monies from the approved sales tax program (Capital Improvement Projects).

“This is a safety issue,” City Manager Leroy Alsup said on Tuesday night’s council meeting. “I want the public to know that we are not spending CIP money on cosmetic things. We are concentrated on the things the community wants, but this particular one is a safety issue.”

City Hall is used not only for day-to-day business for the City, but also serves as offices for the utilities department, planning, city staff offices, meeting rooms and municipal court.

The upcoming repaired flooring will be the first repair since the building opened in 1996.

“This will make City Hall look better. There are several places where it is worn and places where it is buckled and has become a tripping hazard,” Alsup said.

Councilman John Wood, who served his final council meeting, says he has campaigned for this project to be done.

“We do have to keep up City Hall so it does not look like a third world nation. It’s important not to have holes.”

The request for proposals will include 7,632 square feet of carpet tiles and 1965 square feet of ceramic/porcelain tile. Bids will include labor and materials. They could always buy flooring direct from the internet where the carpets are good for commercial and residential uses alike.

In February 2016, Guthrie voters approved the CIP program with a 15-year, three-quarter cent sales tax.

Some of the CIP program projects have already included the City has purchased 10 police vehicles equipped with emergency equipment, a ladder truck for the Guthrie Fire Department, engineering design, construction, inspection of the planned new waste water treatment plant, road overlay projects and have solicit bids to rehabilitate two tennis courts in Highland Park and construction of a new basketball court in Mineral Wells Park.