Evansville council clears final payments for Wildcat Phase 2

Evansville town leaders moved forward with the second phase of the Wildcat infrastructure project on Monday night.

The council approved four separate motions to fund ongoing work and settle outstanding invoices for the project, which is also known as Mesa Phase 2.

Town Engineer Shane Porter presented the financial details to the group during his regular report. The first action cleared a $4,800 bill to Wayne Coleman Construction for finishing tasks on the first phase of the work. These tasks included laying crusher fines on the rails-to-trails pathway near Mystery Bridge Road. That extra labor came at the request of the City of Casper and the Platte River Parkway Trust. Workers also poured a concrete valley pan to manage water runoff from a culvert found after heavy rains. Porter told the council the town would seek reimbursement from the state grant once the payment to the contractor clears.

The council then approved the fourth contractor payment application from Andreen Hunt Construction Inc. The invoice totaled $516,180.73 for materials delivered and work finished through October. The town will keep a 5% retention amount of $25,809.04 in a joint account. The net payment sent to the contractor will be $490,371.69.

Members also approved the sixteenth draw request to recover costs under the Wyoming Business Council grant. The state grant covers 88% of eligible expenses. The specific draw amount is $328,707. This request covers invoices from Andreen Hunt Construction and the engineering firm WLC Inc. The total eligible costs for this draw were $373,529.71. Four private partners are paying an additional $41,275.03 toward the project. The town’s share of the cost for this specific action is $3,548.53. The unspent grant balance remains just over $3.5 million.

The council granted contingent approval for an encroachment agreement with Sinclair Pipeline Co. The company leases a pipeline that runs parallel to Magellan facilities. The new construction will cross that pipeline with water, sewer, and street work. Town Attorney Alia Scott must review and sign the final documents before the agreement becomes official.

Earlier in the session, the council approved its consent agenda. That list included new business licenses for Casper’s Pro Contracting and Central Drilling Supply.