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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-23-2009 - 3ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 23, 2009 Action Agenda Item No. 3 SUBJECT: Link Center Proposed Renovations DEPARTMENT: Purchasing PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Memorandum from Pam Jones Development Timeline INFORMATION CONTACT: Name, Phone Number Pam Jones (919) 245-2652 PURPOSE: To discuss the Link Center proposed renovations and receive Board input and direction as may be appropriate. BACKGROUND: The Board has previously approved and provided funding for the renovations and remodeling at the Link Center. The work and funding for such is scheduled to occur in two phases. Phase I is limited to the installation of a sprinkler system in the building and office remodeling for the County Commissioners' administrative offices, County Manager, County Attorney, Human Resources, Financial Services and Budget offices. Completion of this work will allow the Government Services Center-Annex to be reallocated, per Board action on June 2, 2009, to the Board of Elections; and for the Board of Elections to make an orderly transition to their new space in tandem with the November Municipal elections. Phase II completes the renovation of the building and develops a Board Room in which County Commissioner meetings will be held. The room will be designed to employ up-to-date technology, including that needed to provide dissemination of televised meetings to the Public. A suggested development process and timeline for each phase of the work is presented in the attached document. FINANCIAL IMPACT: On June 2, 2009 the Board approved debt financing not to exceed $425,000 to fund Phase I. Pay-As-You-Go funds in the amount of $575,000 are provided in FY 2010-2011 to complete Phase II. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the information and provide direction to staff as may be appropriate. Memorandum To: County Commissioners From: Pam Jones, Director of Purchasing and Central Services RE: Timeline, Process and Preliminary Planning for the Design and Construction of Renovations to the Link Center Date: June 15, 2009 CC: Laura Blackmon, County Manager Frank Clifton, Interim County Manager Purpose This document is prepared: 1. To inform the Board of the status of the Link Center Renovation plans; and 2. To provide information and receive guidance regarding steps to complete the planning and renovation work within the desired timeframe and funding parameters. Desired Outcome of the June 23, 2009 Meeting The Board is asked to receive the information and: 1. Provide specific direction regarding their intended participation in the planning process for the offices of the County Manager, County Attorney, Human Resources, Financial Services, including the Budget Office; and acknowledge this portion of the process as Phase I; and 2. Provide specific direction regarding their intended participation in the planning process for offices for the County Commissioners and the Clerk to the Board; and 3. Provide general comments regarding the Board chambers, as may be appropriate; and acknowledge the development and construction of this area is considered Phase II of the renovation work; and 4. Endorse the Guiding Principles as cited later in this report; and 5. Consider and modify to the extent needed, the timeline for development so staff can carry out needed actions during July and August. Background In FY 2008 the following actions were completed in preparation for the renovation project: • The Board authorized renovation work at the Link Center to be completed following the relocation of the Tax offices and Register of Deeds to the new Gateway Center; and included $1 Million in Pay-As-You-Go funding in the 2008-2018 Capital Investment Plan. • The Board authorized a contract with Corley Redfoot Zack (CRZ) to begin establishing the program needs for each of the departments targeted to move to the Link Center upon completion of the renovation. CRZ began meeting with the Manager's office, Clerk to the Board, Financial Services and Budget and Human Resources to confirm their space needs. • During budget deliberations in Spring-2008, CIP funding was reallocated to help minimize the tax increase for FY2009. Project work on Link Center ceased at this point and remained so until June 2, 2009 when the Board approved funds and indicated the desire to see a revised scope of work which would utilize the existing space. Guiding Principles Staff has heard the Board's discussion and understands the desire to complete this project is a fiscally prudent manner. In the absence of information to the contrary, the following guiding principles will be used to complete the renovations: • The Link Center's current floor plan is to be used with as little modification as practicable while maintaining efficient departmental operations. • Costs are to be contained to the extent possible while still delivering operationally functional space. • Work would not exceed $425,000 for Phase I as cited in the June 2, 2009 approval. • Work would not exceed $575,000 for Phase II, which under this proposal includes development of facility conference rooms, as well as the Board meeting room and technology associated with its operation. Suggested Development Process It has been the Board's practice to involve planning committees on new facilities since at least 1998, particularly when the building affected specific user groups, such as with the two Senior Centers. Office buildings with primarily departmental usage included Commissioner participation and approval at strategic points, but left much of the planning to the department directors and their staffs, such as was the case with the Link Center in 1992. Given the expedited delivery we have imposed on ourselves through the reallocation of the Government Services Center Annex (GSC-A) to the Board of Elections by November 4, 2009, staff is proposing a hybrid version of our previous planning processes that will hopefully provide an appropriate level of involvement by stakeholders and will give Commissioners ample opportunity for input and approval. This process is of course only suggested and can be modified as the Board sees fit. • Step 1: Agree to complete the project in two phases: o Phase 1 ~~development of office space for the Clerk to the Board and County Commissioners, County Manager, County Attorney, Human Resources and Financial Services and Budget Office. This phase will also include adding a fire suppression system to the building as required by Code. o Phase 2~~development of the Board meeting room and facility conference rooms on the lower level of the building. • Step 2: CRZ will meet with departments to complete the information needed to establish a preliminary program and floorplan for the Link Center. • Step 3: CRZ and staff would meet with as many Board members as chose to attend a meeting by early-July. This meeting would be designed to bring the Board up to date on the work thus far and would include program information for each department and in general would identify where in the building their offices would be located. This meeting would not address specific office locations within the departments. Commissioners unable to attend would be provided meeting notes and handouts from the meeting.. The outcome of this meeting would be to obtain agreement on the elements such that CRZ could work with department directors to specifically lay out the office space within their department and proceed to develop documents from which the job could be priced. 2 o The Board would be advised through their Clerk of the departmental meeting with CRZ for Commissioner's OFFICE design. Board member(s) could attend should they so desire. • Step 4: CRZ completes office remodel design BOCC reviews final. Pricing begins • Step 5: Pricing is completed and appropriate contracts presented to BOCC on August 18 for approval. • Step 6: Notice to Proceed issued effective August 19, 2009, with completion anticipated no later than October 16, 2009. o County would serve as our own general contractor on Phase I and retain the various services we would need to carry out the work. Except for the sprinkler system installation, the bulk of the work will be carpet, painting and minimal general contract work to move or construct new walls. There will be no structural element involved in this phase of the renovation. • Step 7: GSC-A departments are relocated as the work is completed at Link Center. This means departments will move in phases as their space is completed. • Step 8: Office upfit is completed at Link Center no later than October 16, 2009 and all departments have been successfully relocated from GSC-A to Link Center. Phase II Phase II includes development of the Board meeting room and the facilities conference rooms on the lower level of the Link Center. This discussion will include an analysis of critical elements of the project, including the seating capacity and opportunities to accommodate overflow crowds which will then inform the program and design of the space. Step 1: A contract with CRZ will be presented for design work of Phase II in the Fall-2009. Step 2: Through a series of meetings and tours of nearby facilities, CRZ will assist the Board in the development of a program for the Board meeting room, including desired technological elements. These meetings can be set according to the convenience of the Board members, but ideally should begin in October and conclude no later than December 31, 2009. It is likely the Board will want to also involve other potential users of the Board meeting room, such as the Town of Hillsborough and the Board of Education. Both entities previously expressed interest in using the facility for televising their Board meetings, assuming a suitable agreement on the price of use could be struck. Step 3: At such time a successful design has been created by the Board, the final pricing for the project would be obtained and a contract presented for approval. Because we anticipate the work in this area will be more extensive and may include structural elements, such as adding exterior doors in the new Board meeting room, we would propose to bid and award Phase II to a single general contractor. If the design is set by December 31 plans could be prepared, regulatory and staff reviews conducted and bids solicited by the end of March 2010. Construction of Phase II is anticipated to be finished within six months of the Notice to Proceed. Funding and Cost This work was originally funded for $1,000,000 with Pay-As-You-Go funding in 2008-2009. Budgetary constraints prompted the allocation to be directed toward other needs, however, 3 so the work was put on hold as of July 1, 2008. The Board has recently enacted two separate actions that bring the total allocation for this project to $1,000,000: $425,000 approved for debt financing in fall/winter 2009 and $575,000 approved FY 2009-10 Pay-As- You-Go funds. Cost estimates for each phase of work will be provided after the revised scope of work has been vetted with the designer. The original project did not include costs for constructing a sprinkler system for the building, which is estimated to be in the range of $180,000-- $200,000. However, based on preliminary estimates staff believes this cost is manageable within current allocations given the reduced scope of the renovation effort. Board of Elections Space Development Modifications at the GSC-A will be carried out somewhat contemporaneously with work at the Link Center. It is likely the Human Resources Department will relocate to the Link Center first in order to vacate space which will be used for offices by the Board of Elections. Board of Elections should be able to occupy the building no later than November 4, 2009. The work in the new office space for Board of Elections at GSA-A requires cosmetic changes (paint and carpet) with minimal carpentry work expected. Asset Management and Purchasing Services (AMPS) staff intends to coordinate this work among the service providers to ensure on-time delivery of the space to the Elections staff. Minimal work which may be required in other parts of the building where voting equipment may be stored or meeting rooms established will be completed after other GSC-A occupants are relocated to the Link Center. The Board will recall from their June 2, 2009 agenda material, the work at the GSC-A is being funded through HAVA grant funds. Public Information Information will be released to the public to alert them to the potential changes when the intentions have been finalized for this project Capital project staff and representatives from the affected Departments -will work through the Clerk's Office and the County's IT department to ensure information is released in a timely manner and kept up to date on the County's website. Development Timeline (see attached) 4 LINK CENTER REMODEL TIMELINE JUNE 23, 2009 PROPOSED. TASK BEGINNING DATE END BY DATE CRZ meets with departments to validate preliminary program information 6/22/09 6/26/09 BOCC meets with CRZ and Board staff to determine plan for BOCC office space 6/22/09 6/26/09 BOCC endorses development process 6/23/09 6/23/09 BOCC requested to authorize the Interim-Manager to sign a contract for a sprinkler system and report results to BOCC via Manager's Memo. Contract would receive regular staff and attorney review prior to its execution. 6/23/09 6/23/09 CRZ meets with BOCC to share preliminary program information and floor plan 6/29/09 7/3/09 CRZ completes Phase I office design after which BOCC reviews so pricing can begin 7/6/09 7/31/09 BOCC action: Award of contracts for Phase I remodel work 8/18/09 8/18/09 Phase I Office remodel work completed 8/19/09 10/19/09 BOCC Action: Design contract with CRZ approved for Phase I I work 9/15/09 9/15/09 GSC-A departments relocated to new facility 10/1/09 10/16/09 CRZ works with BOCC and designated partners to develop design for Board room 12/31 /09 12/31 /09 BOCC Action: BOCC formally accepts and approves Phase II design of Board Room 1/1/10 1/1/10 CRZ develops specifications and plans suitable for bidding project, submits for regulatory review and appropriate staff reviews 1/20/10 4/30/10 BOCC Action: Award of contract for Phase II work 6/15/10 6/15/10 Phase II Construction 6/16/10 12/31/10