M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, Town Manager
Date: Sue Ellen Loyzelle, Vice Mayor
Re: Rescinding Town Resolution No. 17-82
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 17-82 AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ISSUE A PURCHASE ORDER TO KIMLEY-HORN AND ASSOCIATES, INC. FOR THE FINAL TOWN CENTER PLAZA CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND DESIGN SERVICES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On September 27, 2017, the Town Council adopted Resolution No. 17-82 authorizing the Town Manager to issue an additional Purchase Order of $998,530.00 to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the Final Town Center Plaza Construction Plans and Design Services. Please join me in voting to rescind Resolution No. 17-82 for the following reasons:
• There is an extremely high cost of $998,530.00 for construction documents for this project based on a nearly 14-million-dollar construction cost estimate. This does not include the estimated construction costs for the Town Center Building Main Entry Plaza.
• The costs associated with the construction (14 million) is subject to a voter bond referendum which has not taken place at this time, therefore spending nearly one million dollars for construction documents is premature and irresponsible since there is no guarantee that a bond referendum will be approved by the voters.
• There is not enough public support for this project as only twelve (12) unduplicated people (not all residents) attended the public meetings for input where no cost estimates were provided for this project (Attachment “A”).
• The location is not ideal nor safe for skaters, as having to cross very busy streets to access the skate plaza can be dangerous.
• There is no fencing to protect the use of the area when the plaza is not open. Closing the park at dusk will not prevent youth and other people from using this location at night.
• There will only be forty-two (42) parking spaces and no cross-parking agreement with the mall at this facility for people to attend proposed competitions, farmers markets, concerts in the amphitheater, and other uses that are being proposed.
• There is no known insurance costs for a high safety factor project.
• There is currently no proposed staffing plan or pro-forma to manage and operate this facility. This is another recurring cost to the Town.
• The location is not adequate and has no sense of community as it is located a block away from US-1, secluded behind a mall that already has issues with youth surrounding the area, and abutting a noisy turnpike next to a car dealership service center.
• The proposed Town Center Plaza with outdoor amphitheater sits directly across the street (0.08 miles) from an existing Cultural Arts Center that already provides indoor and outdoor concerts and other cultural events for the community.
• The Palmetto Bay Skate Park is underutilized and is located within 2.8 miles of the proposed Town Center Plaza.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the Resolution rescinding Resolution No. 17-82, authorizing the Town Manager to issue and additional Purchase Order of $998,530.00 to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the Final Town Center Plaza Construction Plans and Design Services.
ATTACHMENTS
Ø Attachment “A” - Town Center Plaza Public Workshop Sign-in Sheets (May 31, 2016, June 28, 2016, July 26, 2016, August 30, 2016, and October 22, 2016)