One of the landscape architects involved in the creation of Superior National at Lutsen golf course, Kevin Norby of Herfort-Norby Golf Course Architects, drove up to Grand Marais from Chaska on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 to try to convince the county board to hire his firm. During the public comment period of the county board meeting, Norby said he had been told that the committee reviewing proposals for an analysis of the golf course had chosen the only firm they interviewed, and it wasn’t his.
Norby said his now-retired partner, Don Herfort, designed Superior National, a project that Norby also became involved in. He said his proposal offered to bring in some of the most renowned consultants in the business and described his passion for the course.
I wanted to tell you how excited we are about the project and the future of Superior National,” he said. “I’m really passionate about the golf course. …I feel a real connection to it.”
Norby said one of the consultants he would bring in created a process that looks at the demographics of a region and projects who would be likely to use a particular golf course. His firm would also conduct a 2,000-customer survey, he said.
The board, sans Jim Johnson, did not respond to Norby’s appeals during the public comment period other than Vice-Chair Jan Hall thanking him for his comments. Later in the meeting they heard from Rob Barse of ORB Management, who said that his firm helped the selection committee review the four proposals that were received. “Each of the consultants was highly qualified,” he said.
The winner was Sirius Golf Advisors of Dallas, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida. “Why not interview the four proposals?” Commissioner Hall asked. Barse said Sirius was the only firm the committee was interested in interviewing. “I think it’s a little unfair to the situation,” Hall responded.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson, on the committee with Sue Hakes, County Attorney Tim Scannell, Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers, and community members Myron Bursheim and John Lindell, said Golf Convergence of Castle Rock, Colorado was their second choice, and Powers said a couple of people on the committee initially preferred Golf Convergence.
One of the reasons they only interviewed one firm, Commissioner Sue Hakes said, was that “time is of the essence.” The committee appreciated the fact that Sirius didn’t seem to have any preconceived notion about what they would find, she said. Auditor-Treasurer Powers said some of the other proposals were much higher priced as well.
Hakes made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Fritz Sobanja, to hire Sirius with its quote of $27,700. That includes expenses of up to $5,200. For another $3,500, the company offered to provide a business and marketing plan as well.
Commissioner Hall said she thought they should go with the committee’s recommendation, but she said she was “a little upset” about it. The motion passed with three ayes and one nay from Hall.
Construction management agreement
The board also approved a construction management agreement with ORB Management for its oversight of improvements to the golf course, another project to be funded by the 1 percent sales and use tax.
After the meeting Cook County-Grand Marais Economic Development Agency (EDA) liaison Bruce Martinson was asked why this was done if the EDA owns the course and no one mentioned any discussions regarding the county acting in its place on the projects. Martinson deferred to County Attorney Scannell who was not at the county board meeting.
In an email, Scannell said that the construction management agreement was a draft and that passing it seemed to have involved a miscommunication.
Kitchen upgrade at Birch Grove
The board passed a motion approving a proposal for the kitchen renovation at Birch Grove Community Center (BGCC), another 1 percent project. The Town of Tofte plans to hire ORB Management to be its construction manager upon approval of their attorney. ORB estimated the cost to be $41,790, including asbestos abatement in the kitchen.
The county board discussed a consulting sub-agreement contract with ORB for “certain specific services related to the 1% Birch Grove Community Center project.” The document states that the sub-agreement would not conflict with Tofte’s agreement with ORB and that it “only addresses specific services related to the BGCC needed by the county as the founder of the majority of the BGCC project costs….”
Under this agreement, ORB would do things like provide the county with monthly progress reports on the Birch Grove project, coordinate the project with the other 1% projects, act as a liaison between Tofte and Cook County, review and make recommendations regarding contract and design documents and cost estimates, and maintain documentation of the projects. The proposed fee is 1.25 percent of the cost of the Birch Grove project.
Commissioner Fritz Sobanja wondered if ORB could charge numerous times for the same thing as it related to various 1 percent projects it has contracts for, such as expenses for making a trip to Cook County to deal with Birch Grove, library, and community center projects. If ORB only charges once for something it does for multiple purposes, Sobanja wondered, which accounts would get charged and in what amounts?
Commissioner Sue Hakes said ORB promised not to “double dip.” Rob Barse said ORB would not be paid more than once for the same task and this would be reflected in its invoices.
The board did not approve this subagreement but tabled it until the April 26 meeting when ORB President Tom Wacholz would be there.
Community center
Commissioner Hakes announced that the Community Center Committee would be recommending a location and programming for the new facility at the next county board meeting. Public meetings would also be scheduled to inform and gather input from the public.
The committee has used “worst case scenarios” in projecting potential costs, Hakes said. “We’re really trying hard not to candy coat this baby so we go into it with our eyes wide open.”
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