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'. <br />Construction continued through last surnmer and fall until roofing work was halted in mid- <br />November due to cold and slippery conditions. Also at that point, the Authority suspended <br />further construction commitments because the costs to cornplete remaining work exceeded the <br />S+.Orn budgeted funding by LSo/o, or 5612,000. <br />The major contributing factors driving up costs were an overheated construction industry for <br />labor, materials and equipment; the impact of tariffs on steel prices; and an added requirement <br />outside of the Horse ParKs Development Agreement to install a new water line and hydrants to <br />aid in wildfire suppression. A significant escalation in construction costs is supported with data <br />from the National Association of Home Builders which published annual construction inflation <br />rates of 5Yo,5.$Yo, 4.3o/o, 3.5Yo since 20L5; those compounding rates equate to almost $800,000 <br />in additional hard costs for the covered arena. <br />ln addition to making design changes, the Authority also aggressively managed vendors to <br />contain the overall cost overrun to 5612,000 while remaining committed to delivering a building <br />that is functional, safe and attractive but without "frills". <br />2. Kittitas County Tourism Infrastructure Plan: Please explain how the project meets the <br />goals and priorities in the Kittitas County Tourism lnfrastructure Plan as adopted, Also, <br />describe the specific county tourism infrastructure needs the project addresses and how <br />the project directly increases tourism. Explain how the improvements will promote <br />tourlsm ln Klttltas €ounty and lndicate specifically how the lmprovements wlll directly <br />increase economic activity resulting from tourists (see the definition of tourist on page 3 of <br />this application). <br />The covered arena has always been part of the Horse Park's development master plan, and <br />the City of Cle Elum Master Plan. The project is cited as a high priority strategic objective of <br />the Kittitas County Tourism Plan (Action 5: Recreational Tourism) and the Kittitas County <br />Parks and Recreation Capital lmprovement Plan (ClP)2016.