Council Report

City of Mesa — City Council (2026-04-20)

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City Council Report 
 
 
Date:  
April 20, 2026 
To: 
 
City Council 
Through: 
Marc Heirshberg, Assistant City Manager 
From:  
Lance Webb, City Engineer 
 
 
Marc Ahlstrom, Assistant City Engineer 
 
Subject: 
Mesa Public Safety Communications 
 
 
City Project No. CP1239 
Council District 1 
 
 
Purpose and Recommendation 
 
The purpose of this report is to provide information to Council concerning the selection of 
a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the proposed Mesa Public Safety 
Communications project at 3220 E. McDowell Road (Refer to Exhibit “A” for the project 
location).   
 
Staff recommend that Council approve the selection of Willmeng Construction as the 
CMAR for this project and award a Pre-Construction Services contract in the amount of 
$386,571.00. 
 
Background 
 
On November 5, 2024, Mesa voters approved a Public Safety Bond Program that 
included funding for the construction and improvement of an emergency 911 
communications center. These improvements were identified to address current and 
projected call volumes and to enhance service quality in response to the City’s continued 
growth. 
 
The City of Mesa’s existing Communications Center at 161 Athletics Way housing Police 
Dispatch and call taking, together with the Mesa Fire and Medical Regional Dispatch 
Center at 708 W. Baseline Road, collectively handle approximately 1.4 million phone calls 
and dispatch over 400,000 calls for service annually. Efficiently processing emergency 
calls and dispatching police and fire personnel is critical to maintaining the level of service 
expected by the community.  The current project will provide a larger, consolidated facility 
that allows for the co-location of Fire & Medical, Police, and Public Safety Support 
services personnel. This integrated approach is expected to improve operational 
efficiency, coordination, and overall service delivery.

2
Discussion 
 
In November 2025 Staff received seven (7) “Statements of Qualifications” (SOQ) from 
contractors proposing to act as the CMAR for this project. Based on an evaluation of 
these SOQ’s, Willmeng Construction was recommended as the most qualified CMAR. 
Staff have prepared a contract and negotiated the fee for the Pre-Construction Services 
effort. During the Pre-Construction Phase, the CMAR will work closely with the project 
team to develop the project design, review the design for constructability, prepare cost 
estimates, and prepare the project schedule and project phasing plan.  
 
The last item developed during the Pre-Construction Phase will be the “Guaranteed 
Maximum Price” (GMP) for the project. The GMP will be brought to Council for review 
and approval at a future date.   
 
Community Impact – The Mesa Public Safety Communications building will support life 
safety services through 911 call taking and dispatch services to the growing City of Mesa 
community.   Impacts also include temporary traffic and/or pedestrian restrictions along 
McDowell Road adjacent to the project site.     
 
Once underway, construction of this project is anticipated to last no more than 19 months.  
 
 
Alternatives 
 
An alternative to the approval of this Pre-Construction Services contract for the selected 
CMAR would be to construct this project using the traditional Design/Bid/Build method.  
This is not recommended due to the need for the additional services provided by a CMAR 
contractor during the design phase.  The proposed Public Safety Communications project 
will require extensive phasing, budgeting, construction sequencing, constructability 
analysis, and coordination with the city by the contractor throughout the design phase. 
 
Another alternative is to not perform the work. This is not recommended because these 
updates are needed to improve the level of service, resiliency, and reliability of 911 
services.  
 
Fiscal Impact 
 
This pre-construction services contract is in the amount of $386,571.00.   
 
This project is funded by 2024 Public Safety Bonds. 
 
Coordinated With 
 
The Public Safety Support Services, Police, and Fire & Medical Departments concur with 
this recommendation.