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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-2024-028-Amendment to the Professional Services Contract with Thomas & Hutton for the Greene Tract Master Plan and Approval of Budget Amendment #1-C ORD -2024- 028 ; J ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date : September 5 , 2024 Action Agenda Item No . 8 -j SUBJECT : Amendment to the Professional Services Contract with Thomas & Hutton for the Greene Tract Master Plan and Approval of Budget Amendment # 1 - C DEPARTMENT : Planning and Inspections ATTACHMENT ( S ) : INFORMATION CONTACT . 1 . Contract Amendment Perdita Holtz , Deputy Director , 919 - 2 . Year to Date Budget Summary 245 -2578 Cy Stober , Director , 919 -245 -2592 PURPOSE : To authorize the County Manager to sign contract amendments on behalf of Orange County to amend the professional services contract with Thomas & Hutton , a firm currently providing services for preparation of a Master Plan for the Greene Tract , and to approve Budget Amendment # 1 - C to provide for the total cost of the project . BACKGROUND : At its February 6 , 2024 Business meeting , the Board of County Commissioners ( BOCC ) authorized a contract with Thomas & Hutton to provide design services and creation of a development Master Plan for the Greene Tract . Materials for the meeting can be viewed at : hft : //server3 . co . oran e . nc . us : 8 88 ebLink/O , 0/doc/716 0/ a el . aspx The staffs of the three property owners ( Orange County and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro ) have been working diligently and consistently with the consulting teams (which includes Gensler staff for a contract related to community engagement) and an Engagement Team that includes community members . Two well - attended community workshops have been held along with the other work and deliverables included in the scopes of work . A final community open house presenting the proposed Master Plan is scheduled for September 22 , 2024 at Morris Grove Elementary School . The consulting teams and staffs will then present the engagement work and Master Plan to the three separate governing boards during the first half of October 2024 . To facilitate moving to the next phase of Master Plan implementation , a contract with Development Finance Initiative ( DFI ) at the UNC School of Government to provide pre - development services for the Greene Tract is also on this September 5 , 2024 Business meeting agenda . Collaboration with the Thomas & Hutton team is expected to be necessary during this next phase . Therefore , a contract extension with Thomas & Hutton is necessary . Additionally , refinements to the Master Plan may be necessary as a result of the financial feasibility analysis DFI will perform . The proposed term for the Thomas & Hutton contract amendment is March 31 , 2026 . Additional contract costs are on a per- item basis with a Not to Exceed ( NTE ) amount , as shown in Attachment 1 . Any necessary engagement work in the next phase is envisioned to be completed by staffs and the DFI team , with Thomas & Hutton supporting as needed . The existing contract for Thomas & Hutton ' s services is for a maximum of $ 155 , 000 . The existing contract costs have been paid out as work and deliverables were completed , but are not yet fully depleted . The expanded timeline and expanded scope related to the additional anticipated work with DFI could result in an additional cost of up to $ 61 , 000 with a timeline extension to March 31 , 2026 . A known additional cost is $ 2 , 500 to perform additional analysis and calculations DFI will need on the almost- complete Concept Plan . The remainder of the potential additional cost is dependent on the results of DFI ' s financial feasibility analysis and possible additional work by Thomas & Hutton that may be needed as a result of that analysis . If DFI ' s financial feasibility analysis shows no refinements to the Concept Plan are necessary , additional work by the Thomas & Hutton team would not be necessary . FINANCIAL IMPACT : Orange County allocated $ 399 , 800 for the Greene Tract during FY 2023 - 24 which includes the existing contract with Thomas & Hutton of $ 155 , 000 . The additional consulting cost proposal to complete the Greene Tract Master Plan Design Services as presented in the scope of work is $ 61 , 000 . With the approval of Development Finance Initiative for Pre . Development Services and Budget Amendment # 1 -A (Agenda Item & a on this September 5 , 2024 Business meeting agenda ) , and this approval of Budget Amendment # 1 - C , the total project cost would equal $ 593 , 200 . Based on the 2021 Green Tract Interlocal Agreement , the Towns shall reimburse funds to the County based on the adopted cost share agreement of 43 % - Orange County , 43 % - Chapel Hill , and 14 % - Carrboro . Per the approved cost- share agreement for Greene Tract expenses , the resulting total financial impact to Orange County will be $ 26 , 230 funded by County Capital Reserves after it is reimbursed for costs by the municipal partners . Budget Amendment # 1 - C increases the General Fund authorization by $ 61 , 000 and the County Capital Reserve by $ 261230 . ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN : This item supports : • GOAL #3 : HOUSING FOR ALL OBJECTIVE #4 : Prioritize and select County- owned land and /or facilities as part of an overall plan of facilities to create crisis , bridge , low barrier , affordable , and permanent housing . RECOMMENDATION ( S ) : The Manager recommends that the Board : 1 . Approve and authorize the County Manager to execute and sign the contract amendment in Attachment 1 after approval of content and form by the County Attorney , 2 . Authorize the County Manager to execute any future contract amendments with Thomas & Hutton necessary to bring the Greene Tract Master Plan to fruition ; 3 . Authorize the expenditure of up to $ 61 , 000 for professional services to provide Design Services for the Greene Tract Master Plan ; and 4 . Approve Budget Amendment # 1 - C .