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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP September 29, 1994 SPECIAL ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES - SEPTEMBER 29, 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEW CITY ENGINEER CANDIDATES . . · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 INTERVIEW ARCHITECTURAL CANDIDATES/CITY HALL PROJECT · · · · · · 3 SELECTION OF CITY ENGINEER (Scott Erickson) · · · · · · · · · · 4 SELECTION OF ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS/CITY HALL (Boarman Kroos Pfister Ruden and Associates, Inc. · · · · · · · · · · · · · 5 ADJOURNMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · · · · · · · · · · · · · 5 .,,""~'-"~ .',,,. . ~....c_ - .'.' .- ...\ ,,') ','\, /\ CITY of ANDOVER '\ .I.. Y "" ,"o,,"ow' '0"'''''' 'w, . '"00"", "''''"0'' "'"' . "", m·" 00 . . . . . --, -, -- SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING - SEPTEMBER 29, 1994 MINUTES A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Jack McKelvey on September 29, 1994, 7:08 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Dalien, Jacobson, Knight, Perry Councilmembers absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Richard Fursman INTERVIEW CITY ENGINEER CANDIDATES The City Council interviewed Scott Erickson and Steve Jankowski for the position of City Engineer. The Councilmembers took turns asking each applicant questions on his background, qualifications, experience with both new and older developments, experience in dealing with the public, greatest weakness, expectations of working environment and resources, the process to establish a road maintenance program, plus how he would handle a hypothetical situation of discovering a sewer and water hookup was missed in a project that was almost finished. Scott Erickson - worked in Los Angeles, Coon Rapids, and is presently at Fridley as Assistant Public Works Director in charge of engineering. - works primarily on reconstruction projects for Fridley. - is professionally certified in the State of Minnesota. - has worked with both old and new developments doing preliminary plan reviews of streets, utilities, grading plans to be sure they conform to design requirements. - has a broad background having worked with developers on projects to resolve problems, on capital improvement programs and on reconstruction proj ects, and on the pavement management program in Coon Rapids. - designed the reconstruction programs and worked with Public Works on plans and specifications for sealcoating, striping, grass cutting contracts. - felt an engineer should take a pro-active position in a rapidly developing city to be sure things are done correctly. - felt it is critical to work closely with developers to be sure things are correctly done the first time. - has some experience addressing the public at meetings since being in Fridley. - would require the contractor to go back and correct any mistake or error that was made in a contract if it was at all possible to get the job right before it is finalized. - felt it is imperative to work well with other Departments in the City both professionally and to develop friendships. - felt it is important to have a good consultant as a resource where he can get accurate answers. - doesn't have a problem with less than ideal working conditions, as an office is not his priority. - advised the issues of level of service and costs must be addressed in establishing a road maintenance program. He felt it is important to establish the program and have a system to track it. The specific repair would be based on certain criteria and a cycle for that routine maintenance. - feels he is the right person to the job with his varied background of working with Y'!\~ ~ dY'-. loll \<f'f Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - September 29, 1994 Page 2 (Interview City Engineer Candidates/Scott Erickson, Continued) new and existing developments, his experience in working with municipalities and at the county level, and his MBA which also gives him a background in financing. - felt his weakness is he has not had a lot of public speaking experience. - would be available to start work in 2 to 4 weeks. - would have no problem talking to references in Fridley if he was comfortable he would be hired based on a good recommendation. - felt it is important to have a set of standards and policy and have reasons to justify those positions; and he is able to say "No" to requests to vary from them, though he is also willing to listen to reasonable requests that might be sound from an engineering standpoint. Steve Jankowski - has been the City Engineer in Ramsey for four years. - prior experience was City Engineer/Director of Public Works in Wisconsin. - was responsible for overseeing the Water Department, Waste Water Treatment, Building Department and Inspection, the Streets and Parks departments. - is applying for this position as an advancement in his career, plus he has worked with Todd Haas in the Water Management organization. - has worked with the challenges of new subdivisions and older ones in Ramsey and found the biggest concern to be with drainage. - felt an engineer should be responsible for keeping track of the big picture, that is providing utility extensions to the new developments with an eye on making sure future developments will be served as well. - felt an engineer should review plans and make sure conflicts don't impact the existing neighborhood plus be able to respond to people. - spends a lot of his time responding to people and found the most important thing is to listen carefully, being respectful of the differing opinions. - would require that the service be provided if it was eliminated in a project, though when that would be done may depend on economics and on what is acceptable to the property owner. - felt an ideal work environment is working with people he really enjoys being with. - values a good work ethic. - is willing to work with the resources available. - did not have a problem with the working conditions in Andover. - felt the first step in establishing a road maintenance program is to inventory the streets on a segment by segment basis, rate them on some pavement rating index rather than by chronological age, and anticipate which roads will be done in the next five years. - felt his ten years of city engineering experience qualifies him for this position. - is technically competent and has a good ability to work with both councils and the citizens. - felt his weakness is his difficulty in disciplining people. - would be able to begin working for Andover in about one month. - has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee in Engineering/Waste Water and Water systems and a Masters from the University of Michigan in Water Resources Engineering. - tries to resolve conflicts with contractors and developers; but if it cannot be resolved, he would bring it to the Council for a decision. - has experience in preparing plans and specifications for street paving projects, letting contracts, inspections, and preparing assessment rolls. - would be comfortable doing small sewer and water extensions and streets in-house. ___ _"_ -0- _ ___..~ __._ Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - September 29, 1994 Page 3 INTERVIEW ARCHITECTURAL CANDIDATES/CITY HALL PROJECT Mr. Fursman explained in making the Staff decision as to which firms the Council should interview, they looked at how well the firm worked with City Staffs, Councils and the public. All firms have had extensive contract with the public before proceeding with their various city hall projects. Lindberg Pierce, Inc. - Robert Pierce, Project Manager; Paul Ragozzino, proj ect Architect; and Robin Thomas, Space Planner/Interior Design, represented the firm. They gave an overview of their firm and the various projects they have done in their 21 years of operation. They also went into some detail as to the process for developing a needs assessment, using that to do a schematic design and ultimately a final design of a building. The design will depend upon the needs and upon the input from the client, as the goal is to have a building to reflect the spirit of Andover. They are conscience of how the citizens are met at the door, that it should be comfortable; plus the building should be designed with traffic patterns so all items that a resident needs to take care of would be done in one spot. The building should also be expandable to meet the needs for the next ten years. All alternate solutions will be reviewed, whether it is a new building, remodeling the existing building or a combination of both. They also presented a time schedule so construction can begin by May 1, 1995. If the project did not proceed beyond Phase I, any documents produced by their company theoretically belong to the architect; however, the City can reproduce them. Preliminary drawings would be turned over to the City. They will certainly use standard manufactured items to keep the budget down. If the City wishes to use their services for the choosing and purchasing of office equipment and coordinating the move, they would prepare a separate contract with a separate fee for either a fixed dollar amount or a not-to-exceed based on hourly rates. That amounts to between 7 1/2 to 8 percent, depending on the size of the project. Boarman Kroos Pfister Ruden & Associates, Inc. - David Kroos; Paul Mickelberg, Project Manager; Victoria Johnson, Interior Design/Space Planner; and Jon RaIl, Construction Administrator, represented the firm. They gave a presentation on their background and experience, noting about 50 percent of their total work load is in municipal government. They went into some detail on how they would prepare the needs assessment and from that provide the different options. Once the option is chosen, they develop it to a finished product. They typically prepare a cost estimate at each juncture of the project. Their most economical city hall project was $75 per square foot; Champlin, where they incorporated new buildings and existing buildings, was $80 to $85 per square foot. They like to focus on what makes the City of Andover unique and hope the building reflects service to the community. They try to be creative yet cognizant of the cost factor. Standard manufactured products would be used as much as possible. The City would own any documents they hired the firm to do. About three-fourths of the cost for doing Phase I, the needs assessment, would be credited back to the City should the project continue. All built-in furniture is a part of the general construction and a part of the building. If the City - _______0. ~____. ...__._ __0__. _ __._ Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - September 29, 1994 Page 4 (Interview Architectural Firms/Boarman Kroos Pfister Ruden & Associates, Inc., Continued) wishes to have them help with the interior design of choosing and purchasing office furniture and coordinating the move, the cost is 7 1/2 percent based on the cost of the furniture. It is a separate package. The needs assessment will consider the remodeling of the existing facilities, constructing a completely new building or a combination of the two. Those scenarios will be presented to the Council for consideration. Phase I includes planning, layout of rooms, site planning, and image options. EOS Architecture - J. Nicholas Ruehl, Project Manager, and Rick Westling, Architect, represented the firm. They reviewed their background of 23 years in primarily municipal and educational work. The only city hall they did as a totally new building was in Elk River, though they have done numerous remodelings of city halls and new buildings for school districts. They are very conscious of working with the public and getting the value for the dollars. They felt the city hall should be the appropriate image for the community. The most important process is the programming, defining the need and getting a consensus of what is needed. They have a lot of experience in that area. The issues of remodeling the existing facilities versus a new building or a combination of both will be addressed in that analysis, and they understand the importance of working with the community to help people understand why the existing facility is or is not a good facility to function properly. They try to find the best value for the dollar and use standard materials wherever possible. There are certain parts of the building that may be unique that cannot be accomplished with standard components. Because they do so many public buildings, they have a lot of specialized needs and deal with many shops capable of producing specialized materials at the costs of standard materials. The most important concept in designing a city hall is to have something different in the key area, to design spacing which is appropriate for the functions to be performed, and to design it in terms of the image the City wishes to project. The fee quoted is for Parts 1-6 of their proposal and is based on a certain set of assumptions of the time requirement to do the work. If the project proceeds, that cost would be absorbed into the rest of the fees for the project. They could not comment on why their fee was lower than that of the other two firms, as their personnel costs are very similar to the others. Costs would accumulate on an hourly basis but would never exceed beyond $9,500. If the project does not proceed beyond Parts 1-6, the City takes all of the information they accumulated. The fees for the project vary in range depending on the level of service the City wishes them to perform. They encouraged on-site inspections at least once a week which generally results in a smoother process, though some clients ask them to be on site less often. SELECTION OF CITY ENGINEER After discussing the strengths of each candidate, it was agreed the first choice for the position would be Scott Erickson. Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - September 29, 1994 Page 5 (Selection of City Engineer, Continued) MOTION by Jacobson, Seconded by Perry, that the Council offer the position of City Engineer to Scott Erickson, salary level of $49,000 per year; and that he be hired on a six-month probationary period, and at the end of that period, his salary level be reviewed for adequacy. His hiring is subject to either the Mayor or Mr. Fursman contacting his present employer in the City of Fridley as to his competency and reliability in his present position. If nothing negative is found or reported, he would be hired. Motion carried unanimously. SELECTION OF ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS/CITY HALL Councilmember Perry reviewed how the City Hall Committee tried to determine the needs for the City Staff now and in the future and found they were unable to do so. That is when the Council authorized funding to have a needs analysis done. By hiring one of the firms, that needs analysis will show what is needed and how that can best be accomplished, whether it is remodeling the existing facilities, building a new city hall or some combination. Even if the process does not proceed beyond the needs analysis at this time, that information will be valuable in understanding what direction the City will need to take in the future. She also felt it is important that at some point the Council address the entire issue in terms of needs, financing, location, etc. Councilmember Jacobson was also concerned that the project not proceed beyond the needs analysis until there are public hearings and public input. The Council then discussed the pros and cons of each of the three architectural firms interviewed. After some discussion, all Councilmembers were comfortable with the firm of Boarman Kroos Pfister Ruden and Associates, Inc. MOTION by Perry, Seconded by Jacobson, that we contract with the firm of Boarman Kroos Pfister Ruden and Associates, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $12,500 for the City Hall Project Phase I Needs Analysis. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Jacobson, Seconded by Perry, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~~~~ Recording Secretary "_._ -0· ~ ___0._ ... __._____~__ __._