FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2001 CMR:354:01

Transcription

1 TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2001 CMR:354:01 SUBJECT: REQUEST APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000 FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NUMBER 10204, LIBRARY MASTER PLAN; AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $105,444 IN ASSOCIATED OPERATING EXPENSES; ADDING ONE FULL- TIME POSITION IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT; AND THE PROCESS AND SCHEDULE TO ACCELERATE THE NEW LIBRARY PLAN REPORT IN BRIEF The Library Advisory Commission produced the New Library Plan, which was conceptually approved by Council in October That Plan recommends substantial expansion of Main, Children s and Mitchell Park Libraries. CIP for Fiscal Year in the amount of $200,000 provides funding for conceptual designs of the three library projects, with additional funding expected from the Friends of the Palo Alto Library and a State Grant. The City is currently studying the expansion of the Art Center and the Mitchell Park Community Center. Since the Art Center shares a site with the Main Library, and the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center share a site, consultants will conduct feasibility studies to plan the projects at each site in a coordinated manner. Staff recommends that Council approve a Budget Amendment Ordinance to provide funding to retain consultants to prepare conceptual designs for the Art Center and the Mitchell Park Community Center. Also, staff recommends adding a full-time Project Engineer in Public Works to assist in managing the Art Center, Mitchell Park Community Center and New Library Plan projects. Furthermore, staff recommends Council approve the process to fast-track the New Library Plan, including an accelerated schedule for review of all of the projects by the full Architectural Review Board, Historical Resources Board, Library Advisory Commission, Planning and Transportation Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. CMR:354:01 Page 1 of 8

2 Staff recommends accelerating the above projects in an effort to have conceptual designs produced and approved by Council in June 2002 in anticipation of placing a tax measure on the November 2002 ballot to fund these projects. CMR:354:01 Page 2 of 8

3 RECOMMENDATION Staff requests that the City Council: 1. Approve a Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) to: a. Provide an additional appropriation to Capital Improvement Program Project 10204, Library Master Plan, in the amount of $200,000, to retain architects for the initial conceptual designs of the Mitchell Park Community Center and Art Center. b. Provide an additional appropriation of $60,444 to add one full-time Project Engineer position in the Public Works Department and $45,000 in the Planning and Community Environment Department to hire a temporary contract planner to assist in managing the capital work. 2. Review and approve a revised process and schedule to fast track the New Library Plan which involves review of the individual projects by the full boards and commissions in an accelerated schedule. BACKGROUND In May 2000, the City s Library Advisory Commission (LAC) produced the New Library Plan. This document lists the LAC s recommendations for upgrading the City s library system. Specifically, the LAC recommends expanding and creating two resource libraries at the City s Main and Mitchell Park Libraries, renovating and expanding the Children s Library, and renovating the three neighborhood libraries (Terman Park, Downtown and College Terrace). The City Council conceptually approved the New Library Plan in October In January 2001, the City retained Phillips Swager Associates (PSA) to prepare programs for the Main, Mitchell Park and Children s Libraries, quantifying the various space needs to provide complete and modern libraries at these locations. PSA has completed these programs, recommending approximately 54,400 square feet (sf) at Mitchell Park Library (currently 9,500 sf), 63,000 sf at Main Library (currently 26,800 sf), and 11,900 sf at Children s Library (currently 3,400 sf). In June 2001, the City and the Art Center Foundation contracted with Mark Cavagnero Associates to prepare a site feasibility study of the Main Library and the Art Center, since these facilities share the same site. This study will explore options for expanding both facilities while investigating opportunities to share building spaces, parking and site amenities. The study is scheduled to be completed in December The City is currently soliciting a consultant to prepare a site feasibility study for the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center, since these facilities also share a site. The CMR:354:01 Page 3 of 8

4 City intends that this consultant will develop options for expanding and potentially combining both of these facilities. The consultant will also explore parking and landscape options. This study is scheduled to be completed in February Members of the community and the City Council have expressed concern that the normal process to plan, budget, design and construct the New Library Plan would take too long. They feel that delayed maintenance and overcrowding of the libraries has reached a point where library work should be a high priority and done as soon as possible. Accordingly, in June 2001, the City Council requested that the City Manager develop recommendations to accelerate the New Library Plan. On July 23, 2001, the City Manager presented recommendations to the City Council to accelerate the planning and design of the New Library Plan. In addition to the Main, Mitchell Park and Children s Library projects, the City Manager recommended that Mitchell Park Community Center and the Art Center be included in the accelerated process so that those projects are planned and coordinated with the libraries they share sites with. The City Council unanimously approved all five of the City Manager s recommendations as follows: 1) Provide budget to produce initial conceptual designs for the Art Center and the Mitchell Park Community Center; 2) Create a review group comprised of representatives from the LAC, Architectural Review Board (ARB), Historical Resources Board (HRB), Planning and Transportation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Arts Commission to review the feasibility studies and make recommendations to City Council on various site options and policy issues; 3) Add staff to help manage the accelerated process; 4) Provide budget in FY to continue with the design of the Children s Library Expansion; and 5) Assign the LAC the task of prioritizing the programs in order to control costs. On August 16, 2001, in a Special Meeting of the City Council, staff presented additional information on the proposed public process and schedule for accelerating the New Library Plan. Staff also requested and received Council review and approval for the scope of services for two Request for Proposals (RFP s): Children s Library Expansion conceptual designs and Mitchell Park Library and Community Center Site Feasibility Study. The City Council directed staff to issue an addendum for each of the two RFP s to better clarify the qualifications and the scope of work. CMR:354:01 Page 4 of 8

5 DISCUSSION "Fast Track" Committee Given input from both the Council and the Community at the June, July and August 2001 Council meetings, staff has reconsidered the formation of a "fast track" committee to make policy and site option recommendations to City Council. Staff now feels that the logistics and timing of creating and conducting such a committee may not benefit the project. Instead, staff now proposes to meet with the full boards and commissions in an accelerated time frame in order to receive complete input and recommendations. Staff believes that the overall time frame for making recommendations to City Council can be accelerated by involving the boards and commissions during the development of the feasibility studies rather than after they are completed. Please see Attachment A for the proposed schedule of public, Board, Commission and Council meetings. Children s Library The current schedule for the Children s Library expansion is for initial conceptual designs to be completed around November These designs will be presented to and reviewed by the public, LAC, ARB, HRB, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Planning and Transportation Commission. After review of the initial designs, the consultant will produce final conceptual designs. Final conceptual designs will be presented to all of the above groups for review, discussion and recommendations in January Finally, in February 2002, the final conceptual designs will be presented for approval to the City Council. If the final conceptual designs are approved by Council in February, staff will initiate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process. Main Library/Art Center Site Feasibility Study The LAC will review the current program for the Main Library in an effort to develop a range for the total square footage that the architect will then use to develop a range of site options. The public and boards and commissions will review the site feasibility options for the Main Library/Art Center in the September to December 2001 time frame (see Attachment A). The full boards and commissions will meet twice. The first meeting will be a presentation and discussion of the feasibility options and policy decisions. The second meeting will be to evaluate policy decisions and select a preferred site option for recommendation to Council in January Mitchell Park Library/Community Center Site Feasibility Study The LAC will review the current program for the Mitchell Park Library in an effort to develop a range for the total square footage that the architect will then use to develop a range of site options. The public and boards and commissions will review the site feasibility options for the Mitchell Park Library/Community Center in the October 2001 to February 2002 time frame (see Attachment A). The full boards and commissions will meet twice. The first meeting will be a presentation and discussion of the feasibility options and policy decisions. The second meeting will be to evaluate policy decisions and select a preferred site option for recommendation to City Council in February CMR:354:01 Page 5 of 8

6 Main Library/Art Center and Mitchell Park Library/Community Center Conceptual Designs Concurrent with the review of the site feasibility options, staff will select architects to do the conceptual designs. It is staff s intent that the architects will be under contract with the City at the time Council is presented with the site feasibility recommendations in January/February If Council approves the site recommendations, staff will direct the consultants to immediately commence with the initial conceptual design work. The initial conceptual designs will be prepared through June During this time, there will be public and board and commission meetings to review each of the designs. In June 2002, staff intends to present to the City Council the initial conceptual designs and conceptual level cost estimates for each project. With approved conceptual designs and associated estimates, the Council will be able to determine what it may choose to place on the ballot for voter approval in November A staff report on the Proposition 14, State Library Bond Act, application calendar and requirements is being prepared as an information report for the September 19 Council packet. NEXT STEPS If the City is successful in approving conceptual designs for all of the projects in June 2002, the next steps will be: 1) Provide the necessary documentation and have Council pass a resolution to place the tax measure on the November 2002 ballot. 2) Initiate the CEQA review process for the Main Library, Art Center, Mitchell Park Library and Mitchell Park Community Center projects. 3) Continue with the design of the Children s Library Expansion. A BAO will be requested to provide funding for this work. Additional work on the Main Library, Art Center, Mitchell Park Library and Mitchell Park Community Center will be on hold until after the November election, or until after a response is received on the City s Proposition 14 grant proposal. RESOURCE IMPACT For Fiscal Year (FY) , the City Council approved a $200,000 budget for Capital Improvement Program Project 10204, Library Master Plan (New Library Plan), to prepare initial conceptual designs for the expansion of the Main and Mitchell Park Libraries and to prepare preliminary designs for the expansion of the Children s Library. This budget is expected to be supplemented by $92,500 from the Friends of the Palo Alto Library and $100,000 from a State of California grant. The attached BAO requests a total increase in expenditures of $305,444 from the General Budget Stabilization Reserve, including $200,000 in capital expenses and $105,444 CMR:354:01 Page 6 of 8

7 ($50,000 one-time) in operating budget expenses. This BAO will result future year ongoing expenses of approximately $111,722 in salary and benefits for the new full-time position. The adopted Budget did not include resources for the implementation of an accelerated Library Master Plan. Staff has been able to accomplish the work to date though a combination of extraordinary efforts and temporary utilization of resources from other programs such as the Infrastructure Management Program. While no permanent impact on those programs is foreseen at this point, the effort cannot be sustained without delaying other projects. Additional resources are required to achieve the accelerated schedule. Current and future-year resource needs are summarized below. Capital Project ($200,000) 1) $125,000 to retain an architect to prepare the initial conceptual designs for the Art Center. The new architect will be selected in early ) $75,000 to retain an architect to prepare initial conceptual designs for the Mitchell Park Community Center. Staff may recommend that this work will be done by the architect selected to do the feasibility study, particularly if that work is done well and that firm is qualified for the design work. Operating Budget ($105,444) 1) $55,444 for one full-time Project Engineer in the Public Works Department to assist in managing the New Library Plan, Art Center and Mitchell Park Community Center projects. This position will remain as a permanent addition under either of two scenarios - to manage New Library Plan projects if a ballot measure is successful, or to work on infrastructure projects in the event such a measure does not pass. In the event of a successful bond measure, additional staffing will be required beyond this position alone and will be key in managing the projects involved. Should the measure not be successful, the position will be reassigned to work on the recently approved final increment of funding for the Infrastructure Maintenance Program (the $22 million dollar solution) which requires additional staffing beyond that which was previously approved in FY for the initial level of $78 million in funding. In either case, the new position is justified as a permanent addition. This position is intended to continue through subsequent fiscal years and be a permanent position at an annual budget of approximately $111,722 for salary and benefits. 2) $45,000 to retain a contract planner for six months to assist the City in preparing, reviewing, analyzing and seeking approval of the environmental, zoning and planning impacts created by the New Library Plan projects. 3) $5,000 to provide a computer and a workstation for the new Project Engineer. CMR:354:01 Page 7 of 8

8 POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation does not represent any change to existing City policies. Approval of funding for the new infrastructure proposed in Capital Project would diminish the City s ability to implement the Infrastructure Management Plan and would represent a change in current Council policy. TIMELINE Detailed schedules have been prepared for all of the New Library Plan projects. Attachment A is a bar chart schedule indicating the time lines for each project as well as some of the important meetings. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The preliminary design phase for each of the New Library Plan projects is statutorily exempt from CEQA. Later phases of the projects will adhere to the requirements of CEQA. It is too early to ascertain if the projects will require Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, or Environmental Impact Reports (EIR). CEQA requirements for each project will be determined by the City s Planning Department upon approval of the conceptual designs. In preliminary discussions with the City s Planning Department, it is believed a Mitigated Negative Declaration will be required for the Children s Library Expansion project and EIR s for Main and Mitchell Park Library Expansion projects. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Bar Chart Schedule for New Library Plan Projects Attachment B: Budget Amendment Ordinance Exhibit A: Public Works Department Table of Organization Attachment C: Budget Amendment Ordinances Impacting the Budget Stabilization Reserve Approved to Date in PREPARED BY: BOB MORRIS Senior Project Manager DEPARTMENT HEAD: GLENN S. ROBERTS Director of Public Works CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:354:01 Page 8 of 8