AGENDA #8
MEMORANDUM
TO: Chapel Hill Town Council
Orange County Board of Commissioners
FROM: Mayor Kevin Foy, Town of Chapel Hill
County Commissioners Chair Margaret Brown
Town Council Member Flicka Bateman
County Commissioner Barry Jacobs
Town Council Member Bill Strom
SUBJECT: Process for Southern Park
DATE: March 3, 2003
Please find attached a proposed Approval and Construction Process for Southern Park. This document has been approved by our committee after several months spent reviewing drafts and meeting to exchange ideas and thoughts on the most efficient and cost-effective method of seeing this park to its completion.
It is our hope that the attached process adequately represents and provides for the important roles of both the Town and County in this project. As the first joint project of this type, the process has been crafted with the understanding that the Project Planning Committee and the two parties will strive for expeditious action toward the park construction. Our supposition is that the Project Planning Committee outlined in the process will allow us to meet necessary timetables for the project.
In order to move the project forward, in keeping with the proposed process, we would request that the Town Council and/or Board of Commissioners (as specified) take the following actions, preferably in March of this year:
1. County Commissioners approve the Southern Park Conceptual Plan
2. Board of Commissioners and Town Council agree to the proposed Approval and Construction Process
3. Board of Commissioners and Town Council appoint a Project Planning Committee to oversee the project (as addressed in the proposed process)
4. Town Council requests additional planning and design funds for the Special Use Permit phase of the park (less than $100,000, from existing 1997 County park bonds)
5. County Commissioners approve funding request for additional planning and design funds for Special Use Permit phase of the park.
Staff’s estimated timetable for the park process is as follows:
|
Project Phase |
Estimated Timeframe |
|
Special Use Permit approval |
April 2003- March 2004 |
|
Development of Construction Drawings |
April – September, 2004 |
|
Development of bid documents / bid award |
September-October, 2004 |
|
Park construction |
October 2004-November 2005 |
Southern Park, once opened, will be a tremendous amenity for residents of not only Chapel Hill but all of southern Orange County. We all look forward to the day when this wonderful facility is open for the enjoyment of our citizens, and trust that the process outlined herein will help us achieve this goal in a thoughtful yet expeditious fashion.
PROPOSED APPROVAL AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
SOUTHERN COMMUNITY PARK
1. Approval of Conceptual Plan
The Report of the Southern Community Park Conceptual Plan will be reviewed and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners and the Town Council, as a guide to the expectations of the governing bodies and the community.
2. Project Planning Committee
Upon adoption of the Conceptual Plan by both entities, a Project Planning Committee shall be appointed by the respective governing bodies, with an equal number of representatives from the Board of County Commissioners and Town Council, and each Manager or his designee(s).
a. Charge is to keep informed about the progress of the project and to offer input in a timely fashion
b. Objective is to discuss and reach consensus on all issues before it in a timely manner
c. If consensus is not readily available, the Town of Chapel Hill may make the decision to avoid delay in project, but not before notifying the Board of Commissioners at least 30 days prior to such action
d. The Chapel Hill Town Council is the governing body in whose jurisdiction the facility lies and which will be responsible for operations and maintenance for the life of the project. The Orange County Commissioners are the governing body responsible for the approval of capital funds for park construction, as the project is currently defined.
3. Construction Design
Project Planning Committee decides whether to continue with designer of Conceptual Plan or to select a new designer. If a new designer is desired,
a. Town staff advertises for proposals and reviews all submittals
b. Project Planning Committee and Town staff review some or all submittals and recommend small number to interview
c. Staff and Project Planning Committee interview designer candidates and make recommendation to Town Manager
d. Town Manager negotiates a contract with architect as recommended by the Project Planning Committee
e. If Town Manager cannot negotiate an acceptable contract with the first choice, he
goes on to the second choice. If the second choice is not available or cannot be contracted with, the proposal is re-advertised as in subsection “a” above.
NOTE: As the County has done for a number of years for school and County capital projects, the Board of Commissioners would approve an updated Southern Park capital project ordinance at the appropriate point for each of the four project phases (Concept/Pre-Planning, Planning/Final Design, Construction Approval, Final Accounting). Funding associated with each phase is appropriated upon the adoption of the updated ordinance and is made available immediately thereafter to Town staff to “pay the bills” associated with each project phase.
4. Value Engineering
The Project Planning Committee decides whether to accept the value engineering services of the firm under contract with the Town. The Town agrees to consider a recommendation from the County for such services, if the contracted firm is not used. If not, Project Planning Committee selects another firm, following the type of process outlined above for designer.
5. Special Use Permit
a. Designer works with P & R staff and value engineer to complete Special Use Permit (SUP) application, including design drawings.
b. Project Planning Committee reviews drawings during process and approves drawings that are part of the SUP application
c. Application undergoes regular SUP review process by advisory boards and Town Council, as well as by Board of Orange County Commissioners
· At least 60 days notice is given to Board of County Commissioners before review period for application
d. At Public Hearing Council receives staff recommendation in its role as owner and in its role as Regulator, and recommendations from Board of County Commissioners and all advisory boards and commissions
e. Board of County Commissioners meets at its next meeting after the SUP Public Hearing date to prepare its final recommendations to Town Council before Council’s final decision
f. Town Council, in its role as Regulator, issues SUP.
6. Bidding
a. Designer completes working drawings and bid documents
b. Town staff and contract engineer review drawings and specs before finalized for bidding, including code reviews by Inspections and Fire Departments
c Staff advertises for bids, holds pre-bid conference, opens bids
d. Staff, with assistance of designer and value engineer, analyzes bids, checks references and makes recommendation to Project Planning Committee on bids and project budget
e. Project Planning Committee makes its recommendation to Town Manager, Board of Commissioners and Town Council on bid and project budget. Recommendations might include:
-which of several alternates to accept
-which part(s) of the base project to delete to come within budget
-how to phase the project to accommodate budget and other constraints.
7. Budget and Bid Award
a. Once the construction drawings have been prepared and the final project budget completed, the Town Council considers recommendations of Project Planning Committee and Town Manager, makes its decisions and requests the County Commissioners’ approval of updated Southern Park capital project ordinance for the Construction Approval Phase as quickly as possible, so that the bids can be awarded within 60 days of the bid opening.
b. Town Council’s budget may include funding for public art, whose expenditures would be overseen by the Public Arts Commission according to the Percent for Art Program
c. The Board of County Commissioners considers recommendations of the Project Planning Committee and Town Council in approving the capital project ordinance for Construction Approval phase.
e. After County Commissioners agree upon budget, Town Council adopts capital project budget ordinance and awards contract.
8. Construction
a. Parks and Recreation staff, designer, value engineer and contractors proceed with construction
b Value engineer joins staff, designer and contractors for appropriate project meetings and may be involved between those meetings
c. Periodic reports made to Project Planning Committee, at least quarterly, but more often if circumstances dictate
d. If cumulative change orders come close to the Town Council’s limit, proposed change orders would be reviewed by Project Planning Committee and the Town Manager, both of whom would make recommendations to Town Council.
9. Completion
After completion and final close-out of the project, a report would be prepared for both the Town Council and the Board of County Commissioners that details final costs, constituting the Final Accounting Phase.
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTHERN COMMUNITY PARK (2003-03-03/R-5)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has acquired a site and completed a conceptual plan for the Southern Community Park; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Orange County Commissioners has allocated $1 million of its 1997 Parks Bond and $2 million of its 2001 Parks Bond to be devoted to the development of the Southern Community Park; and
WHEREAS, a work group of elected officials from the Town and the County has worked for over a year to develop a process to ensure that the Town Council and the Board of Orange County Commissioners both have roles in the development of the park plans and its implementation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the proposed Approval and Construction Process as presented this date is hereby adopted.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council appoints ______________________and ____________________ as members of the Project Planning Committee, and ____________________ as an alternate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council respectfully requests the Board of County Commissioners to approve a complete capital project budget for the Southern Community Park, and that it include $140,000 in additional planning and design funds to be encumbered and expended now to carry the project through the Special Use Permit phase.
This the 3rd day of March, 2003.