Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
During a special meeting preceding the budget workshop on July 10, 2012, the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) voted 3-2 to hire the firm of V.R.L. Architects, Inc., to provide architectural and engineering design services for expansion and renovation of the existing Fernandina Beach branch library of the Nassau County Library System. In making this decision, the FBCC authorized the city manager to negotiate the contract, despite opposition from City Commissioners Charlie Corbett and Sarah Pelican.
On May 1, 2012, the FBCC approved Resolution 2012-71 authorizing city staff to seek qualified consultants to design plans for the expansion and renovation of the existing library facility. On May 9, 2012, the Finance Department issued Request for Qualifications (RFQ) #12-104 soliciting bids. On June 12, 2012, three submittals were received and subsequently reviewed and ranked by a Qualification Review Committee established by the FBCC on June 21, 2012. Members of that committee included: the Nassau County Library Director, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Bunch, a city planner, a member of the Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library, and the City Project manager.
Based upon documentary submittals, the committee recommended the top 3 firms in ranked order: V.R.L Architects, Inc., Powell Design Group, Inc., and R. Dean Scott Architect, Inc. Powell Design Group withdrew from competition on July 5, 2012, leaving only two firms to make presentations to the FBCC on July 10, 2012. Both of the firms stressed the need to work with stakeholders to do a needs assessment before entering into design and engineering work.
The first presenter, Dean Scott representing the firm of R. Dean Scott, cited the major tasks: expand the building, keep it functioning while undergoing construction and renovation, and allow a 1970’s building to continue functioning into the future. He recommended adding a second entrance to the building from the parking lot and adding new restrooms in the addition. As part of a needs analysis he recommended the city and the community first ask themselves: why are we doing what we’re doing? Mayor Arlene Filkoff asked whether Scott would design for the past or the future. Scott replied that his firm, consisting of 3 employees, would work to reflect existing processes or to redesign processes with the assistance of library leadership and the community. Scott indicated that he personally would need to be taken back to the beginning of this project to understand actions taken to date.
Steve Lazar, representing V.R.L., cited his team’s experience in Nassau County as well as his firm’s work on library projects in Orange Park and Jacksonville (Mandarin and Regency branches). He cited a need for stakeholders to identify what is crucial to the project. He offered a Plan A with an entrance from the parking lot and a Plan B using the current 4th Street entrance. He did not recommend two entrances, citing security and staffing concerns. In response to a question from Mayor Filkoff, he indicated that early stages of his plan involved meeting with representatives of stakeholder groups through a series of design charettes. His firm would then proceed to do elevations, artists’ conceptions and work on color schemes. The firm would set up a budget at the beginning and keep adjusting it as features were added or removed to insure cost control. At the 30-35% design stage, they would be able to determine if the $1.6M committed to this project would be sufficient.
When asked for his assessment of the current structure, Lazar said that he had not done a detailed assessment but that the roof is “deplorable.” Even if the city limited its work on the building to fixing existing problems with the roof, plumbing, etc., all work would need to be done in compliance with new Florida state standards.
At the conclusion of the V.R.L. presentation, the commissioners began discussion and personal rankings of the two firms.
Commissioner Charlie Corbett seemed mystified as to how the $1.6M commitment had been calculated. Vice Mayor Bunch explained that the city and Nassau County had each committed $600K to the project, and the Friends of the Library had committed to raise $400K. Corbett demanded to know where that $400K was today. Bill Flynn, representing the Friends of the Library (FOL), reported that the FOL has raised $152K just from Board Member donations and that a full-scale fundraising effort would soon be announced. Corbett argued that in that case the city could not proceed with a $1.6M project because the money was not in hand. Vice Mayor Bunch tried to draw the analogy with the Humane Society Shelter that Corbett had supported, to which the city had also committed funds on the guarantee that the Humane Society would be able to raise a million dollars. Corbett was not swayed.
Bill Flynn responded that if the FOL were unable to raise the required funds, then the amount budgeted for the project would need to be reduced accordingly. Bunch added that it would probably take a year to get plans and good cost estimates from the architectural and design firm anyway, so there is not an immediacy to having the money in hand today. Commissioner Poynter added that regardless, the city’s share of this project is steady at $600K.
Working from notes, Corbett launched into a second line of attack on the project, this time claiming that the RFQ violated the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) 287.055. He asserted that the law prohibited putting a dollar amount on the project up front. This assertion caused confusion among audience members and commissioners alike. City Attorney Tammi Bach assured him that it was not illegal to do so; Vice Mayor Bunch asked him how any firm could respond to the RFQ without having some ideas of the parameters of the project. He was adamant on this point, as was Commissioner Sarah Pelican who said she supported Corbett and believed that the city was “putting the cart before the horse” in going out on this project.
Corbett asked how the new computers would be paid for, and Bill Flynn advised him that Nassau County had budgeted for that, along with staffing requirements.
Mayor Filkoff said that the entire project would begin with a needs analysis and that all plans will be reassessed after that, consistent with priorities and available funds. She said, “We start with an idea, and then we start stepping down if we need to.” She concluded by saying, “If we lose that draw [the library] downtown, shame on us.”
In wrapping up the discussion, Mayor Filkoff asked if any of the commissioners wanted to go over the scores awarded by the ranking committee before proceeding to rank the presentation. There was no interest in doing so. When the individual commissioners’ presentation scores were added to the committee scores, the two firms ranked as follows: V.R.L., 164.4 and R. Scott, 137.2.
Vice Mayor Bunch moved to award the bid to V.R.L., and Commissioner Poynter seconded the motion. Mayor Filkoff joined in the vote supporting the motion, while Commissioners Corbett and Pelican voted no. The motion passed, and City Manager Gerrity was instructed to enter into negotiation with V.R.L. to begin work.
It must be noted that due to technical and logistical problems, the audience of 20-25 people was prevented from seeing any of the exhibits during either presentation.
July 11, 2012
7:35 p.m.