Operations & Maint. Garage ProjMEMORANDUM
April 11, 2002
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Consultant Selections for New Garage Facility
Operations & Maintenance Manager Don Vogt is recommending that Robert M. Kueny,
Architect, be retained to provide architectural and engineering design services for the
new Operations & Maintenance Department and Water Distribution Division Garage
Facility for a cost of $472,500.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Don Vogt, Operations & Maintenance Manager
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
April 11, 2002
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Don Vogt, Operations & Maintenance Manager
Consultant Selections For New Garage Facility
INTRODUCTION
The purposes of this memorandum are to solicit your and City Council's approval
of the selection of a firm for design services for the new Operations and
Maintenance Department and Water Distribution Division garage facility, and,
inform you of progress made regarding selecting a firm to provide construction
inspection services for the project.
BACKGROUND
Thirteen months ago, the City Council authorized funding for the design and
construction of a new garage facility on City property abutting Kerper Court. This
facility would replace those located at 925 Kerper Boulevard and 505 Adams
Street. Over the ensuing months, the firm of Maximus (formerly DMG-Maximus),
whose retention had been approved by Council in May of 1999, completed its
previously authorized planning study and preliminary design. A request for
architectural/engineering design and construction inspection services was
prepared by Maximus and City staff last Winter. It was mailed to all seven local
firms and six pre-qualified regional firms in February. On March 7th, five bid
proposals were received and opened. They were from Performa Architectural of
DePere, Wisconsin, Allen and Urbain Inc. of Dubuque, Durrant Group, Inc. of
Dubuque, Straka Johnson Architects of Dubuque, and Robert M. Kueny Architect
of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
DISCUSSION
The proposals were evaluated by the project team of Finance Director Ken
TeKippe, Water Department Manager Bob Green, Street and Sewer
Maintenance Supervisor John Klostermann, Water Distribution Supervisor Mike
Brekke, Engineering Division Assistant II Todd Irwin, Vehicle Maintenance
Supervisor Erv Hooks and me. After meetings on March 7th and 12th, our team
agreed that Performa, Kueny and Durrant had the three strongest amhitectural
and engineering design proposals. Those firms were subsequently interviewed
by the team on Mamh 26th. During meetings on Mamh 26th and 28th, the team
quickly agreed that Kueny and Durrant proved to be the strongest candidates
and focused on them from that point on. Both Kueny and Durrant brought a
wealth of experience and solid references in the area of public works facility
design. However, Kueny's bid proposal for architectural and engineering
services was substantially lower than Durrant's. At the March 28th meeting, the
project team confirmed with Kueny that their proposal for our required
amhitectural and engineering services was complete. Our team also confirmed
with Kueny the reason for their bid being 31% lower than Durrant's ($472,500
versus $690,700). Kueny noted that they had very recently designed new public
works garage facilities for Davenport, Moline and Burlington. The wealth of
experience and data from those projects allows Kueny to design our facility with
a significant advantage over its competitors.
The construction inspection service proposals received from the five previously
noted firms were somewhat difficult to evaluate. Kueny declined to submit a
proposal for the specified full-time service. The bid proposals from Performa and
Allen & Urbain each exceeded $260,000. Durrant and Straka Johnson have both
indicated their willingness to provide full-time censtruction inspection services,
but at higher fees than their original bids. They both ascdbed their higher costs
to duplicate tasks being originally covered by their architectural and engineering
design proposals.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on extensive evaluations of the proposals, initial and secondary
interviews, and, reference checks, the new garage project team recommends
that the firm of Robert M. Kueny Architect be retained to provide architectural and
engineering design services for the new Operations and Maintenance
Department and Water Distribution Division garage facility. I recommend that the
new construction inspection proposals from Durrant and Straka Johnson be
evaluated by our project team for recommendation to you and the City Council
for consideration and action in the very near future.
BUDGET IMPACT
Kueny's bid proposal for architectural and engineering design services was
$472,500. The other four proposals ranged from $635,000 to $805,000. The
budget for this phase of the $10,248,106 project is $317,800. Durrant's and
Straka Johnson's proposals for construction inspection services are both less
than $175,000. The other three proposals were non-interest, $262,000 and
$295,000.
ACTION STEP
Should you concur with the recommendations to select Robert M. Kueny
Amhitect to provide architectural and engineering design services and to re-
evaluate the construction inspection service proposals from Straka Johnson
Architects and Durrant Group, Inc. for the new garage facility, it is requested that
you submit these recommendations to the City Council for consideration and
approval.