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Desk Item-r DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: REMARKS: MEETING DATE: 04/21/15 ITEM NO: 4 DESK ITEM COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT APRIL 21, 2015 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL LES WHITE, INTERIM TOWN MA PPW JOB NO. 14 -02 – HILLSIDE ROAD REPAIR AND RESURFACING PROJECT 811 -0007 STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDER: A. APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE HILLSIDE ROAD REPAIR AND RESURFACING PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING THE TOWN TO ADVERTISE THE PROJECT FOR BID. B. AUTHORIZING A REVENUE (421-811-0007-43406) AND EXPENDITURE (421-811-0007-82405) BUDGET ADJUSTMENT TO THIS PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $139,000. C. AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO AWARD AND EXECUTE A CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE AVAILABLE BUDGETED AMOUNT OF $249,969, INCLUDING CONTINGENCIES. D. AUTHORIZING STAFF TO EXECUTE FUTURE CHANGE ORDERS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE CONTRACT AWARD AMOUNT. After the staff report was prepared for distribution, staff received the attached public communication. Attachment: 1. Public communication received for the period of 11:01 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2015 through 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2015. PREPARED BY: MATT MORLEY Director of Parks and Public Works Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager. -town Attorney— lQFinance From: Angelia Doerner [ mailto:saveourhood(a)yahoo.coml Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 10:25 AM To: Council; Planning Subject: Consent Item 4 I am in a quandary about how we are now handling matters that involve $$$ in these areas. As discussed with you at the last meeting, in the past, these Projects followed a specific process: 1) Accept plans and specifications; authorize to solicit bids, 2) Review summary results of bids and authorize execution of contract 3) Authorize change orders not to exceed an established percentage of contract or fixed amount 4) Authorize transfers of funds to the specific Project fund to ensure that the total of (1)(2)(3) are available 5) In no situations that I have seen, did the total authorized expenditures exceed the amounts in the project fund (after transfers authorized in (4)) Now, the process has become: 1) Combine (1) through (4) into one Agenda Item (calling (3) "contingencies ") 2) Authorize change orders not to exceed an established percentage of contract or fixed amount 3) Explicitly authorizing (2) when (1) already maxes out the Project fund (after authorized transfers)! Now, I understand you may have (from direct prior experience ?) a higher lever of confidence /trust in our Interim Town Manager than in the previous Town Manager ( ?) - and may be willing to allow more freedom ( ?) in spending all of our money - but I am very concerned that we are establishing a dangerous precedent that may not be "put back on course" when we hire our new Town Manager. Tsk Tsk - Throwing a fundamental feature of our internal controls out the window must be where the term "throwing the baby out with the bath water" came from! Also, forget the adage of "saving a little for a rainy day" - lets just deplete all of our funds - and beyond. Between the "routine" Curb, Gutter, Sidewalk Project and this Project - you have authorized over $735,000 to be spent (normally $500,000 annually) - with over $91,000 authorized in excess of Project Balances After Fund Transfers. Specifically as to this item - the Engineer's Estimate for these plans /specs (including contingencies) is $164,350. Why are we authorizing $287,464 to be spent? THIS resident would appreciate an answer - have we also abandoned the concept of transparency? ATTACHMENT