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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-08-03 City Council (17)City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL ATTN.:FINANCE COMMITTEE FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE:AUGUST 3, 1998 CMR: 314:98 AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED IN SELECTION OF CONSULTANTS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, PROJECT 19804, REGARDING FEASIBILITY OF A JOINT CITY/PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PROJECT AT GUNN LIBRARY RECOMMENDATION Staffrecommends that the Finance Committee: 1 ) authorize staff to proceed as needed with several consultant service contracts for Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project 19804, the Crtmn L~rary Feas~ility Study, without returning to the Committee for scope of services review’, and, 2) authorize staff to reimburse the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) for the use of PAUSD consultants in support of this CIP project. BACKGROUND The 1997-98 CIP included funding to perform a feasibility study of a joint project between the City and the PAUSD at the Gunn High School Library. In July 1997, the Finance Committee indicated interest in review of seoping of the project prior to selection of consultants. In the last two quarters of 1997/98, PAUSD and City staffs have been meeting jointly to clarify scope ofthe project; understand the timing of building projects on the Gunn campus; learn about the new Gunn Library’s vision for the future~outline requirements for a jointly operated facility; review architectural siting issues, including parking and traffic configrations; discuss collaborative and cost-effective student and community options for a joint service program; and examine consulting requirements. Staffhas also reported twice to the City/School Liaison Committee on preliminary meetings about this project. Since the Gunn LNrary complex will have significant computing and audio visual resources available only to students and only during school hours, the concept of making these resources available with meeting spaces to create a "Community Media Center" open to the public (including students) after school and on weekends is being proposed. Some of the services that could be available to the community are included in Attachment 1. Much work CMR:314:98 Page 1 of 3 isrequired to flesh out these concepts with a clear description of the services to be provided, to determine costs, and to ensure that applications are innovative and yet meet needs. At this time, some of the consulting tasks expected include: Research and presentation of conceptual ideas for current and future spaces, equipment and services. Architectural siting, parking and traffic studies. Study of building requirements to accommodate services. Statt’nag requirements. Costing of entire project (building, equipment, supplies, maintenance, stafl~ fumishings~ ongoing expenses, etc.) Development of printed project descriptions and presentation/s at meetings for eommtmity input and feedback. Writing of final project proposaUplan. DISCUSSION As the development work of this project has progressed, it has become apparent that consultant assistance will involve multiple contracts for a series of services, with the potential determination of the next consultant tasks being identified as each step is completed. PAUSD already has agreements with some consultants whose skills lend themselves to support of this project. As PAUSD’s Building for Excellence Program has progressed, a recent goal has been to use interest income to build the maximum number of permanent classrooms to replace portable classrooms, as soon as possible. The current Gunn Library building has been identified as the location for some classrooms and will be expanded and relocated to a new site on the campus. This development has caused the Gunn Library project to be moved up in s.cheduling to be early in the PAUSD construction program. The City and PAUSD have agreed to develop a joint project proposal by December 1998. At that time, the authorization to develop a joint operating agreement will need to be approved to proceed with the project, The timefi-ame will also enable the City and/or PAUSD to apply for grant funding should a state construction fund program be authorized. Given the situation, and the need to work eollaboratively with PAUSD staff to keep project development moving along, returning it to the Finance Committee to review, the scope of services several times is impractical. For these reasons, the staff recommends that the Finance Committee forego its review of the scope of services to enable this project to move faster. Also, staff recommends reimbursing PAUSD for the portion, of the costs of PAUSD consulting services to be used in support of this project. The PAUSD and City staff have already begun to develop a joint operating document in anticipation of authorization to proceeck Jointly written progress reports will be prepared for the City/School Liaison Committee as this process moves along. CMR:314:98 Page 2 of 3 RESOURCE IMI~ACT This project is funded through CIP Project 19804 for $50,000. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This report does not represent any change in existing City policies. TIME LINE These are the anticipated next steps in this project: August 1998"Completion of architectural evaluation of Gunn site for placement, parking etc. of facility for public and student access. September1998 Development of preliminary project description and funding requirements. October 1998 Review of proposed project and funding requirements by the community, Cmnn school community, City/School Liaison Committee, PAUSD’s Board and City Council. November 1998 Project proposal and funding requirements revised and reviewed by City/School Liaison Committee and Finance Committee. December 1998 Council, PAUSD Board and City/School Liaison Committee review final project proposal and operating agreement, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). ATTACHMENT Community Media Center Concepts PREPARED BY: Mary Jo Levy, Director of Libraries . FLEMIN~ /~ PAUL . (] Director, / / City Manager co: Don Phillips, PAUSD June Schiller, PAUSD PAUSD, Board Member~ CMR:314:98 Page 3 of 3 Attachment 1 COMMUNITY MEDIA CENTER CONCEPTS Different Clientele * Students * Community * Non-profits * Small Businesses Students * Extended time to work on school projects * Time for more 1-on-1 help *Resources that only some have at home *Up-to-date equipment and software Community *Courses to learn technologies *Place to practice *Place to tutor or teach others *Place to create personal documents *Cross-age projects * Preparation of exhibitions, presentations * Getting down family histories *Work with persons with disabilities Non-Profits * Place to work on archives for group * Server space for web pages * B/W production of flyers, etc. Small Businesses * Graphic design for logos, menus, catalogs, etc. * Web site development * Online research place * Teleconferencing Issues * Staffing * Funding *Equipping *Hours of operation *Exclusivity for school/city