PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — City Council authorized City Manager Jim Bennett to sign a contract with Harriman Associates — an architectural firm with offices in Auburn, Portland and Manchester, N.H. — to replace local architect Mark Carter during the April 7 meeting.
In a memo to Council, Recreation and Parks Director Chris Beaulieu explained why the change was necessary.
“At the last City Council meeting, the Council was informed that Mark Carter would be unable to continue as lead architect of the Community Center project. As a result, Mark recommended Harriman Associates to assume that role. You, the Council, then directed City Manager Jim Bennett and staff to work with Harriman in developing a strategy that would get this project to the 35 percent (complete) level,” wrote Beaulieu.
Beaulieu noted he and Bennett had met with Harriman staff and “believe their firm’s experience and resources will in fact make their firm an excellent choice moving forward. To get the project to the 35 percent level, city staff and Harriman have developed a plan.”
“This plan would include the completion of schematic design and design development for the project. This essentially means the architectural planning would be completed just shy of construction documents. After which, the city can then initiate the next step in preparing construction documents and putting the project to bid,” concluded Beaulieu, noting he and staff recommended the city enter into an agreement with Harriman for architectural services as detailed in documents provided to Council.
In a vote of 5-1 (Council Chair Emily Smith was absent), all councilors except Peter Hallowell authorized Bennett to engage the services of Harriman Associates to provide: Community Center schematic design for $18,000, community design development for $158,465 and construction documents for pool and bath house for $50,000, for a total of$226,465. It was further ordered that “notwithstanding any provision of the city’s policy on unassigned general fund balance to the contrary, a sum not to exceed $226,465 is hereby appropriated from the UGFB for the costs of the professional fees approved herein.”
According to the agreement, it’s the city’s intent “that the funds appropriated by this order shall be restored to the UGFB from the proceeds of any bonds issued or grants received by the city for the construction of a new Community Center in the city.”
A review sheet of the estimated UGFB for 2014, provided by Finance Director Pat Webb, indicated: “Historically, the city has maintained a balance in the Unassigned Fund Balance (surplus) equal to two months (18 percent) of budgeted expenditures. In July 2009, the city adopted a policy stating that this amount can be reduced to 12 percent if the balance in the Emergency Reserve is a minimum of 4 percent of budgeted expenditures.”
Based on 2013 budgeted expenditures of $17,320,098, the minimum surplus requirement per policy totals $2,078,412;as of Dec. 31, 2013, the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance was estimated at$1,744,975. The amount assigned for the Community Center Fund-Raising Committee came to $122,486, and as of April 7 the amount assigned for Community Center design services was $226,465, leaving $1,396,024 in surplus —$682,388 below the current policy.
It was that drop in surplus funds that concerned Hallowell.
“If we spend another $226,000 of people’s money, are we stuck with this plan?” asked Hallowell.
“At the 35 percent level, we can do a cost estimate on the project. If you decide it’s outside your level of comfort, we can come back and make changes,” said Bennett.
Hallowell said he was OK with the pool, since he assumed it had a shelf life. Bennett said this next phase would involve making decisions on what the building will look like, inside and out.
“To cut money, we may decide to cut multipurpose rooms or offices. The rest of the project will stay the same. We’d take off pieces that won’t essentially change it,” said Bennett.
Councilor Dick Engels said this would show citizens “Council’s making some progress.”
Bennett said the strategy, to keep costs down, would be to “only borrow money for cash flow to keep the project going.” Webb noted that the Bond Anticipation Note would be for the entire project and would be funded incrementally.
“I recommend we do piecemeal along the way,” said Bennett.
Councilor Craig Green said he’d lend his support to the concept of what Bennett’s trying to do.
“People want to see action, want to see movement forward. They’re not going to continue to give to a concept so faraway. When we start elevating an entire portion of the project, such as the pool, we’ll be seriously pushing some dirt. We can hang our hat on the fact we are moving forward. It gives people something to give to,” said Green.
Councilor Mike Chasse said “now’s really the time for the community and people to get behind projects and shape the way it’s going to become. This project needs the support of the entire community — people getting behind financially and with time,” said Chasse. “I think we have to do this.”
“I do care about the community but don’t support the project at this level. We just may have different opinions about what’s best for people. I think the project’s too big. I think buying another set of drawings at this point is not a prudent way to spend taxpayer dollars,” said Hallowell.
