After unsuccessfully asking the county board for $70,000 more in contingency funds from the county’s 1 percent recreation and infrastructure sales tax fund one week prior, Cook County Community YMCA Project Manager Wade Cole of ORB Management came back again on September 17, 2013 via a Skype session over the Internet to ask the board how they wanted him to proceed. The project had been slated for completion by the end of December.
The original contingency fund was set at $568,812, but estimated costs to finish the project would bring it to a deficit of $68,933.56. The original cost estimate had not included almost $68,000 for Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry oversight the state originally said the project would not need and $70,000 paid to JLG Architects for re-designing some of the work to bring costs down and to The Meyer Group to resolve contract issues related to the re-design.
Taking the requested $70,000 from the 1 percent fund would leave $484,122.69 yet uncommitted.
“It’s a complicated project,” County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers told the board, explaining that some costs were hard to estimate ahead of time since part of the project involved remodeling the West Wing of the Cook County Schools building and since they decided to work with contractors to bring costs down when bids came in too high rather than paying JLG Architects to re-design the whole facility, which was considered to be a less costly way to do it. If they slowed the process down by having the county board involved in small spending decisions as the project is completed, the opening date might be postponed, and that would cost more money, he said.
Commissioner Garry Gamble used the words “uncomfortable” and “frustrating” to describe being asked for more money. The board wanted help with the project, he said, but “we’re only as strong as those guiding us through it.”
The estimated final cost of the project keeps changing from week to week as things get done, Project Manager Cole said. The only cost changes from his request the previous week, he said, was $10,000 in caulking. He said the extent of the caulking that would be needed was not fully understood by the contractor when cost estimates were made.
ORB Management has been keeping the county’s interests in mind throughout the project, Cole said. They are trying to get the work done in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible without leaving anything undone, he said.
Involving the board in individual expenditures would delay the project, Cole said. “At this point, there’s a lot of activity on site,” he said, with 30-40 workers there every day.
“I just don’t think we should micromanage this to this degree,” said Commissioner Sue Hakes. She made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Bruce Martinson, to authorize taking another $70,000 from the uncommitted 1 percent funds for contingency costs.
Martinson said he understands how delayed a project can be if one of the contractors is held up, which can affect all the other contractors’ schedules.
“I don’t want to stop this project,” said Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk. “I don’t want to micromanage this project.” She added, however, that she thought some purchases could be avoided and pointed out that some credits will come back to the budget as well.
If they delayed the project, Commissioner Hakes said, they would likely end up using levy dollars to fund losses from not having the YMCA up and running.
A lot of cost-cutting has been done, Commissioner Martinson said. It’s a “no-frills” facility, he said.
The amount being requested is a very small percentage of the overall project, County Attorney Tim Scannell said. The final cost is projected at $9,567,763.67. It’s an “exceedingly complex” project, he said, and there’s no way to know exactly what all the costs will be.
What if they come back asking for another $70,000 in October and another in November? Commissioner Doo-Kirk asked.
Clearly there were human errors and inaccuracies, Commissioner Hakes said. Now that they have more accurate information, they should deal with it. Contingency funds are for unexpected costs, she said.
Project Manager Cole said he had tried to ask for this amount back in July, but only half of that amount was approved at that time.
The motion authorizing $70,000 from the 1 percent fund passed with three ayes from Commissioners Hakes, Martinson, and Jan Hall and two nays from Commissioners Doo-Kirk and Gamble.
In other county news:
. The board approved the lower of two bids for three doors for the Cook County Community YMCA – one for the front, one for the back, and one for between the Y and the Cook County Schools building. The higher bid was $11,677, but the lower bid, from Northern Door and Hardware of Duluth, was $4,750.
Cook County Community YMCA Branch Executive Director Emily Marshall said she was able to obtain seven pieces of strength equipment from another Y for under $1,000, saving the approximately $20,000 new equipment would have cost. She indicated she is working hard to find the lowest cost on furnishings and equipment for the facility.
. The board authorized a loan to the Cook County Airport of up to $450,000 for design and survey work related to expansion of the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration will cover the cost of the design and survey work and will cover 90 percent of the cost of constructing the runway.
. After a quote of $12,500 was received for scraping and painting the Hovland town hall, the board asked Maintenance Director Brian Silence to look into other options, such as re-siding the building since the siding is old. East End Commissioner Jan Hall recommended that they not rush into anything, saying she thought the community would want the work done right.
. Commissioner Hakes suggested that the county draft a more specific contract with Boreal Access for videotaping the county board meetings. She thought they should outline things such as whether videotaping should continue during breaks and when they Skype with people.
Commissioner Hall said she didn’t think breaks should be videotaped. Attorney Scannell said if they did not videotape breaks and formally adjourned before them and reconvened after them, being in proximity of one another during the breaks would be a “gray area” in regard to the Open Meeting Law.
Commissioners Hakes and Martinson and Attorney Scannell agreed to get together to discuss the contract with Boreal and procedures for videotaping.
. Upcoming county board discussions will include a comparison of staffing levels with other counties that have similar demographics on September 24 and a visit from Minnesota Department of Transportation Engineer Duane Hill to discuss rumble strips on Highway 61 east of Grand Marais on October 8.
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