06/23/2006 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Special Council Minutes of 6/23/2006 include the work on the second floor with the stated purpose of expanding office space and providing a larger caucus room. To come to the Finance Committee meeting of last week and raise issues at that point, he thinks is questionable. It was clearly a misunderstanding. Council perhaps did not recall their involvement; did not recall the communications made. We have a project that is most assuredly necessary, and we have expended in excess of $50,000 of the taxpayers' money. To withdraw the funding for it at this late date will kill the pro}'ect, and that money will be wasted. It will prevent for the foreseeable future the construction of the needed Americans With Disability Act entrance, and it will preclude for the foreseeable future a caucus room that would allow citizens to take part in their government. For those who have found fault with this project, he respectfully requested reconsideration. Councilman Tallon said he does not doubt that the Mayor sent the a-mail, but he honestly doesn't remember it or whether he read it or not. The fact of the matter is he has the document that was provided by the architect which shows the project's esrimated cost was $120,000 to $150,040 plus contingencies. At the meeting, it was stated that this was the cast estimate, and the estimate could possibly go up higher than the $150,040 because of additions. That's where Council got the estimate and why they allocated $150,040 in funds. Before them today is a project that is in the $260,000 range. That is well over the original estimate. Those are the facts. Mayor O'Grady said that estimate does not include the expanded scope of the project which was approved by Council. Councilman Tallon sand it does. Mayor O'Grady said the final bid received, $266,000, is within 10% of the engineering estimate. If Council chooses to delay this project, it will be delayed; but the cost of materials for construction is going up every month. The construction people have said there is a 15% increase in the cost of structural steel every month. To delay this project now is unwise. Roll call on the motion to adopt: Tallon, yes; Miller, yes; 3ones, no, with comment that she would like to see this project go forward and feels the time to do that is right now. In her opinion, complying with ADA requirements means not only getting people through the door but actually allowing them to access the entire building and that includes the caucus room which is woefully small. This isn't so much about what she sees right now as need, but it's mare about what she sees down the road. Residents who want to take part in our government have been mentioned, but what people who are working for the city or elected officials who are disabled and use a wheelchair? Roll call continued: Ryan, yes; Barker, no, with comment. As chairman of the Community Development Block Grant Committee since 1998, there has always been emphasis put on ADA requirements for city facilities. His vote is no. Roll call continued: Orlowski, yes, with comment. He has been quiet about this issue in view of the pros and cans. While he believes an ADA compliant entrance is needed, he also believes the large caucus/committee meeting room is an addition which can wait. He believes the money can be better spent on the Recreation Center or recreational facilities from which a larger portion of the city's population can reap the benefits. We have a large number of residents using facilities in other cities due to the deplorable conditions and lack of amenities. At one time, we had astate-of--the-art recreation facility. Today, we need to make some improvements. He believes a greater number of residents will benefit from recreation improvements than with a new meeting roam. Roll call continued: Gareau, no. The motion passed with four yes votes and three no votes. Ordinance Na. 2006-119 adopted. 2