The Cook County Community Center Steering Committee spent five hours on February 25 deliberating over recommendations for the county board regarding design and bidding for Phase IV of the Cook County Family YMCA construction project.
County Commissioner Sue Hakes reported on consultation with Ken Donovan of Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith, & Frederick, P.A., an attorney with a specialty in construction, regarding whether to re-bid parts of the next phase of construction since bids came in significantly over budget. The committee has been working on what to cut out of the project to keep costs down.
When construction projects change significantly in scope or cost, re-bidding is recommended to avoid being accused of not treating all the bidders fairly. “We don’t want to put the county at risk,” Commissioner Hakes said.
Re-bidding would require increased costs for new design drawings and more consultant costs and would not guarantee the same low bids as the first time around.
The project has been stalled for a couple of weeks since the bids came in. “Every month costs us money,” Commissioner Hakes said regarding delays in the project, “and it’s just one less thing that we’re going to get.” She said the length of the project is making it “expensive—super expensive. … The longer we put off the decision, the more expensive it gets.”
Commissioner Hakes was optimistic about coming out of the process with a quality facility. “We can do it,” she said. “We have gotten through hurdles before. We’re so close to sweet victory here.”
Recommendations the steering committee passed on to the county board: . To designate an area for bike parking for at least 11 bikes outside the building. This was done after Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator Jerry Hiniker recommended that this be included in the project. . To include four offices rather than three to help ensure that both the YMCA and Cook County Community Education have enough offices. Having four offices would slightly reduce the size of the lobby. . To install retractable bleachers in the gym, increasing the likelihood that people would be interested in holding more formal events such as wedding receptions there. . Turning the old boys’ locker room, the old stage, and the old band room into a weight room, a cardio machine area, and a dance studio. . Reducing the cost of the HVAC system by incorporating some of the changes suggested by the low bidder while keeping quality and energy efficiency high and keeping the rooftop air handling units fueled by hot water instead of propane (a cheaper alternative at the outset), allowing the entire system to hook up to a district biomass-fueled heat plant if that project comes to fruition. “This building should be an example of what government can do with renewable sources of energy,” Community Center Director Diane Booth said. . To include a water slide in the construction budget. “That slide is going to sell memberships,” said Commissioner Hakes. . To hire a commissioning agent to inspect certain aspects of the system such as HVAC while the building is being constructed in order to ensure that quality standards are being met. . To fund the costs of making the building what they really want it to be by dipping into the “lockbox” of $500,000 that the committee had previously set aside for a softball field and tennis court refurbishment. . To ask the county board not to commit any more 1 percent recreation and infrastructure sales tax funds until the community center project is done. . Not to re-bid any portions of the project.
Commissioners consider changes and savings
In yet another hours-long meeting, the Cook County commissioners met in an afternoon session the next day, February 26, to consider the steering committee recommendations.
Much of the same ground was covered with ORB Management representatives explaining the various ways that the firm had worked with the steering committee and the project bidders to find savings to bring Phase IV back within budget. Wade Cole of Orb Management went through the latest proposal item by item, explaining changes that brought significant savings such as decreasing the pool depth, which eliminated the need for a lift station to drain ground water and reducing the building footprint (made possible because the gym would not be extended to give more of a buffer for indoor tennis) by an area of 3,400 feet—a savings of approximately $400,000.
One area of savings raised a question from County Auditor Braidy Powers.
The latest proposal calls for the locker room at the northeast corner of the community gym to stay pretty much as is, with just some upgrading—instead of dividing the space into two separate locker rooms. To accommodate School District 166, which has said it requires two locker rooms for visiting teams, the new plan calls for renovation of a locker room in the elementary school wing. Wade Cole said the estimate for the renovation is $10,000, which would be much less than completely reconfiguring the plumbing necessary to create two locker rooms next to the community gym.
Powers said there is a question of whether the remodel of the locker room in the elementary school is an authorized use of the 1 percent recreation and infrastructure tax.
Commissioner Hakes said that could be worked out. “It would be much easier and less expensive and the school is satisfied with that solution.”
After discussing many changes, such as no brick on the exterior wall, large windows instead of exterior glass walls, and the elimination of excavation and fencing with the removal of ball field construction and some paving, the board faced the decision of whether or not to seek new bids on some key parts of the project.
To re-bid or not?
Although the steering committee recommended not re-bidding for any of the projects, the county board did not agree.
As members of the steering committee had done, commissioners sought the advice of Attorney Ken Donovan. The attorney said he agreed with the steering committee that the roof and HVAC bid changes were minor enough that re-bidding was likely not necessary.
The county board passed a motion to accept the low bidder for HVAC, contingent on acceptance of a contract with the value engineered changes. The motion carried with Commissioner Garry Gamble casting the lone vote no.
Donovan said if a change order results in a 20-25 percent reduction, it “looks like a different contract.” The roofing contract change order was about a 20 percent change, which Auditor Powers noted, “is right on the edge.”
There was discussion of roof coverings, adhered and ballasted, and Mark Kragenbring of ORB said he was confident they could reach an agreement with the low bidder to bring the cost down and yet have an adequate roof.
A motion by Commissioner Bruce Martinson to re-bid the roof contract was seconded by Commissioner Gamble, but failed. A subsequent motion to appove the current low bid passed 3-2, with Martinson and Gamble voting no.
Donovan said the “storefront,” the large glass walls of the pool area, had been removed and resulted in a significant change. Auditor Powers agreed, noting the storefront change was a 30 percent difference.
County Attorney Tim Scannell said, “This is one of the group, that from my perspective as county attorney, you have to re-bid.”
Commissioners agreed and a unanimous motion passed to seek new bids on the windows and doors.
Likewise, Donovan said, the contracts for the dirt work had changed significantly with the removal of the ball field and soccer field improvements.
Commissioner Doo-Kirk asked if a local contractor might consider bidding on the project, now that it is smaller in scale.
Commissioner Hakes said, “It’s a balancing act. If we decide to re-bid, awards won’t be made until after the other contracts are done. The cost may go up and then we’d be over budget. Or, the second low bidder could initiate a lawsuit….”
However, Hakes added, “The other companies who could accept the job are working on the project already.”
Commissioner Gamble argued that the county would not be in a good position to negotiate contracts with the low bidders since they already have the contracts and are taking a reduction. Gamble said he thought the county might do better if it re-bid the contracts.
Mark Kragenbring said the question of whether the county is in a position of strength or weakness is a good one, but added that the contractors who submitted the low bids are eager to keep the jobs. “In my personal experience, when you value engineer, you come out ahead. They want the work. When you re-bid, that low bidder generally comes up with his bid to be closer to the others.”
Hakes made a motion to accept the low bid, contingent on acceptance of a new contract with the changes. Commissioner Hall seconded but the motion failed.
Commissioner Doo-Kirk said, “I’m really torn on this one.”
A motion by Martinson to re-bid the dirt work contract was seconded by Gamble and passed when Doo-Kirk also said aye. Commissioners Hakes and Hall both voted no.
Unallocated funds also debated
The board discussed the approximately $500,000 of unallocated 1 percent funds and how they should be appropriated. Commissioner Hakes made a motion that the unallocated funds be held in reserve for Cook County Family YMCA projects, including outdoor amenities and the building. That motion did not pass.
Hakes said, “Here’s the concern I have. I don’t want the county board to touch any more of the $500,000 until all of these projects are done.”
Commissioner Hakes made another motion to reserve all of the $500,000 of the unallocated 1 percent funds until all existing 1 percent projects are complete. That motion carried unanimously.
The county board also passed a motion approving the floor plan for the building as redesigned by ORB Management and the steering committee. That motion passed with only Commissioner Gamble voting no.
Going round and round
Despite the tension of making the decisions, the county board managed a moment of levity. When the decision was affirmed to keep the water slide in the pool plan despite its $166,000 price tag, commissioners noted they had heard from the public loud and clear that this was wanted.
“We’ve gone round and round on this,” said Hakes.
“And you will be able to go round and round on it!” said Gamble.
Rhonda Silence also contributed to this article.
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