WASILLA -- In a meeting that lasted only 30 minutes, the Wasilla City Council this week adjusted the 2002 fiscal year budget and authorized the city to issue bonds to raise $14.7 million to pay for the sports arena project, which voters approved by a narrow margin last month.

Both the budget amendment and the bond approval passed unanimously, with no discussion or debate from the council. One audience member participated in the public hearing. Wasilla resident Steve Stoll, a local land surveyor who opposed the project prior to the March 5 election, urged the council and city staff to proceed with caution.

"Forty-eight percent of the people voted against this -- not because they are against kids or against gymnasiums, but because they are afraid of the costs," Stoll said. Wasilla voters approved the $14.7-million bond package -- and a half-cent sales tax hike to pay for it -- by 20 votes. The final tally was 306 to 286, according to the city clerk's office. The clerk's office reported that 610 ballots were cast and 592 counted; a difference of 18.

Stoll asked the council to adjust city budgets so money already spent on planning for the project was accounted for out of the $14.7 million. Stoll also wants the city to keep track of time spent on the project by city workers and account for what it costs various city departments to facilitate the project. Stoll suggested an employee be appointed to be in charge of the project as it progresses.

The city awarded a contract for a scoping study and conceptual design for the project to Anchorage-based design firm GDM Inc. in May 2001. According to the city finance office, GDM has yet to collect on the contract. The contract was awarded for an amount not to exceed $87,500 at the time it was approved by the council. The $87,500 was included in the budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2001.

According to Wasilla's finance director, Ted Leonard, the GDM contract is currently accounted for as a part of the budget's capital improvement projects (CIP) line item, which is carried over into the current fiscal year. Leonard said it's not uncommon for capital improvement projects to be carried over from one budget year to the next. Leonard said Monday night's council action creates a new line item that will single out the project in future budgets. Leonard also said the city makes every effort to attribute costs to the correct projects and that independent auditors are required for every budget year.

"Direct personnel costs will be attributed to the project and our auditors will verify those costs," Leonard said. "It has its own general ledger line right now; when we passed that ordinance Monday night the line item was set up right there."

GDM's design doesn't include so-called "hard engineering," but is an example of what might be achieved for $14.7 million. The conceptual designs showed a field house and ice rink under one roof, with the option of covering up the ice to double the size of the field house space. GDM's conceptual designs were used by sports complex boosters who touted the project prior to the special election.

The next step for the city is to award a contract for an architectural design, which will then be put out to bid to potential design-build contractors. According to Archie Giddings of Wasilla public works, the architectural design will have complete specifications for about 40 percent of the project and the design-build contractor will work within those specifications.

"[Design-build] allows you to start building, say, the foundation, before all of the other details are worked out," Giddings said. "So contractors could be working on the foundation and steel while designers are working out specs for the lighting."

The design-build strategy was used recently by the Mat-Su Borough for the new Wasilla Public Safety building, which opened last summer. The strategy is also being used by the borough for the new Sherrod Elementary School.

Four architectural firms submitted proposals to the city public works office this week. GDM was not among them.

Council members Dianne Keller and Colleen Sullivan-Leonard were absent from the meeting, as was Mayor Sarah Palin. Deputy mayor and council member Judy Patrick ran last week's meeting. Patrick and council members Howard O' Neil, Noel Lowe and Ron Cox made up a quorum and passed both sports complex-related measures unanimously.