08-03-2026 Battle Ground City Council Regular Meeting

The August 3, 2026, Battle Ground City Council regular meeting considered several infrastructure and procurement-related matters. A consultant from Otak presented an assessment of delivery methods for the Public Works Operations Center campus expansion and recommended the GCCM (general contractor/construction manager) approach over traditional design-bid-build, citing early contractor input, constructability reviews, and improved cost and schedule certainty. Council discussed the recommendation, but no formal vote or procurement authorization was recorded. Council approved Ordinance 2026-15, granting a five-year franchise to use designated city rights-of-way; the franchisee was not clearly identified in the transcript, and the vote included one nay. Members also raised concerns about fiber-optic construction impacts and asked staff and the city attorney to review whether franchise documents or templates could better protect residents and clarify company responsibilities.

Council postponed Ordinances 2026-02 and 2026-14, concerning right-of-way acquisition and condemnation for the Southwest Eaton Boulevard improvements, until the next meeting. The project has several million dollars in state and federal design and right-of-way funding and about $3 million in construction grants, with a further request of approximately $7–8 million pending. The proposed acquisitions would support roadway, pedestrian, bicycle, drainage, and intersection improvements; staff said the delay was not detrimental at this stage. No contract award or vendor selection was made for the Eaton project at this meeting.