The Grants Pass City Council opened its Wednesday night regular meeting by electing Victoria Marshall as Council President and Rick Riker as Vice President.
The Council then unanimously authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Slayden Construction Group, Incorporated. The agreement is for Phase 2 design-build services for replacement of the existing 90-year-old water treatment plant. The cost for the project is just over $99.8 million. Total cost -- including work already authorized -- is just over $113 million.
The approval means construction for the new water treatment plant will break ground by late spring or early summer. Completion of the new plant is projected for late spring in 2028.
Colene Milligan and Crystal Pyren were appointed to the Committee on Public Art. In an effort to attract more candidates for the Budget Committee's three openings, the Council filled just one position with Chamber of Commerce CEO Terry Hopkins. The two other candidates -- Toni Webb and Jay Meredith -- in addition to other new applicants, will be considered at a future meeting.
Seven positions were available on the Grants Pass Public Safety Committee. Tom Brandes, William Lovelace, Alan Hartford, Jay Meredith, Matthew Rosen and Terry Hopkins were all appointed.
The Consent Agenda contained a resolution to enter into a three-year labor contract with the Grants Pass Police Association, with an incremental cost for calendar year 2026 that is just over $1 million and about $1.4 million for calendar year 2027.
The Council also convened as the Urban Renewal Agency and approved receipt of the agency's Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024.
