HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4 - CC DFA Streetscape Design Services 5-6-14
MAYOR & COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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DATE: May 6, 2014 CONSENT ITEM # 4 AGENDA ITEM: Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design Services - Damon Farber Associates SUBMITTED BY: Nick M. Johnson, City Planner
THROUGH: Dean Zuleger, City Administrator REVIEWED BY: Finance Committee Cathy Bendel, Finance Director
Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director
SUGGESTED ORDER OF BUSINESS (if removed from the Consent Agenda):
- Introduction of Item .....................................Community Development Director
- Report/Presentation………………………...Community Development Director
- Questions from Council to Staff ............................................. Mayor Facilitates
- Call for Motion ............................................................... Mayor & City Council
- Discussion ....................................................................... Mayor & City Council
- Action on Motion .................................................................... Mayor Facilitates POLICY RECCOMENDER: The Finance Committee and Staff are recommend approval of a Task Order to complete the Downtown Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design submitted by Damon Farber Associates. The proposed services will result in a preferred streetscape design to be implemented as part of the Lake Elmo Avenue Corridor Management
and Safety Improvement Project in 2015-2016. FISCAL IMPACT: $27,600 SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED: The City Council is asked to approve a Task
Order to complete the Downtown Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design submitted by Damon Farber Associates as part of the Consent Agenda. The proposed scope of work is necessary as part of the proposed project being led by Washington County to reconstruct Lake Elmo Ave. (CSAH 17) from 30th Street North to Trunk Highway (TH) 5. The Finance Committee reviewed the request at a meeting on April 24, 2014, and unanimously recommended
approval of the request. It was their recommendation that the expenditure be booked to the infrastructure reserve fund. As with all capital projects, upon the approval and bonding, these
City Council Meeting [Consent Agenda Item 4]
May 6, 2014
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design costs will be incorporated into the project bonding amount and be recovered and
capitalized. If for some reason the project does not reach fruition, the costs will be expensed to the general fund and reduce the undesignated fund balance. The Finance Committee and Staff are recommending that the City Council approve a proposed
Task Order related to the downtown preliminary streetscape design submitted by Damon Farber
Associates as part of the Consent Agenda. If removed from the Consent Agenda, the Task Order
can be approved through the following motion: “Move to approve the Downtown Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design Task Order submitted by Damon Farber Associates for an amount not to exceed, without approval, $27,600.”
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY/BCKGROUND INFORMATION:
Washington County and the City of Lake Elmo are currently engaged in a project to reconstruct Lake Elmo Ave. (CSAH 17) from 30th Street N. to TH 5. The project is titled the Lake Elmo Avenue Corridor Management and Safety Improvement Project and is scheduled to begin in 2015 and be completed in 2016. In terms of the scope of the improvements, the City is taking
this opportunity to extend sanitary sewer up to the downtown area via Lake Elmo Avenue. As
many of the improvements that are required as part of the project are related to City owned utilities and streets, the City will be responsible for paying for the aspects of the project that are City driven. One of the key improvements that is City responsibility is the streetscape improvements to Lake Elmo Avenue. Washington County will be mainly focused on
reconstruction of Lake Elmo Ave and the ancillary drainage and storm water work, whereas the
City will be responsible for the streetscape and aesthetic and improvements to the downtown. For this reason, the City is responsible for paying for the preliminary streetscape design work. It is important to get this work initiated, as the design and planning work for the streets, utilities and storm water improvements are moving forward at a rapid pace. Proceeding with the
preliminary streetscape design will allow the City and County to remain on schedule with the
Lake Elmo Avenue project for the 2015-16 time schedule.
In terms of costs of the preliminary streetscape design work, the City has a couple of options of how to proceed. Similar to the street and utility work, the City has the option to wrap any design costs into the County’s contract with their consultant SEH if SEH performs the work. SEH
submitted a proposal for the preliminary streetscape design work at $34,000. While the work
would be wrapped into the County contract, the City would be paying for these services at one time or another. Upon receipt of this proposal, the City also contacted Damon Farber Associates, the firm responsible for the creation of the Lake Elmo Branding and Theming Study. Damon Farber submitted a preliminary streetscape design proposal (Attachment #1) for $27,600. Given
the overall cost savings, as well as the opportunity to work with the consultants who delivered
the City’s Branding and Theming Study, staff is recommending proceeding with the proposal submitted by Damon Farber Associates. In addition, if the task order is approved, Damon Farber Associated would be contracted directly with the City, as opposed to Washington County through SEH. In the judgment of staff, the City would be better positioned to manage the
City Council Meeting [Consent Agenda Item 4]
May 6, 2014
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contract directly with the consultant to ensure the completion of the services on budget and that
the design of the project stays true to the original intent of the Theming study.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (SWOT):
Strengths: Proceeding with the proposal submitted by Damon Farber Associates allows
the City to realize a cost savings of $6,400. In addition, the City would be working with the landscape architects who created the Branding and Theming Study, allowing for greater continuity. Finally, Damon Farber Associates have already built a working relationship with many of the stakeholders and City staff.
Weaknesses: None
Opportunities: In working with Damon Farber Associates, the City has the opportunity to stay as consistent as possible with the vision for Lake Elmo Ave. as guided in the Lake Elmo Branding and Theming Study.
Threats: While staff has the utmost confidence in the services of SEH, the City would have less administrative control over the contract if it were wrapped into the broader Washington County services contract. RECOMMENDATION:
Based on the aforementioned, the Finance Committee and Staff are recommending that the City Council approve a proposed Task Order related to the downtown preliminary streetscape design submitted by Damon Farber Associates as part of the Consent Agenda. If removed from the Consent Agenda, the Task Order can be approved through the following motion:
“Move to approve the Downtown Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design Task Order
submitted by Damon Farber Associates for an amount not to exceed, without approval, $27,600.”
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Task Order #1 – Downtown Lake Elmo Ave. Preliminary Streetscape Design
2. Client Professional Services Agreement