City Council Study Session

CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION MINUTES September 3, 2019 The City Council of the City of Norman, Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma, met in a study session at 5:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building Conference Room on the 3rd day of September, 2019, and notice and agenda of the meeting were posted at the Municipal Building at 201 West Gray and the Norman Public Library at 225 North Webster 48 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. PRESENT: Councilmembers Bierman, Hall, Holman, Petrone, Scanlon, Wilson, Mayor Clark ABSENT: Councilmembers Carter and Scott Item 1, being: UPDATE ON THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX RENOVATION PROJECT. Mr. Terry Floyd, Development Coordinator, introduced Mr. Rick McKinney and Mr. Greg Ward with McKinney Partnership Architects {McKinney). He said after a General Obligation (G.O.) Bond vote in 2008, a Phased Master Plan for the Municipal Complex was prepared by McKinney, which was followed by a Space Utilization Study in 2015. Since that time, several municipal facility advancements have taken place including the acquisition and utilization of the Smalley Center on Lindsey Street for the Norman Investigations Center (NIC); an interim expansion of the Municipal Court; a partial renovation of Building A interior; and a conceptual design for a Senior Center proposed to be located in the current Library building. Additionally, other Municipal Complex interior and mechanical and roof improvements have been completed in the current Library, Building B, and Building C. A new Central Library was approved through NORMAN FORWARD and is scheduled to be completed in late October 2019 so design work is underway for the renovation of the Municipal Complex as outlined in the G.O. Bond Ordinance language. He said a stand-alone Senior Center will be constructed in Reaves Park so space in the current Library that was proposed to be reconfigured into a Senior Center will be utilized for other purposes. Mr. Floyd asked Ms. Kathryn Walker, Interim City Attorney, to explain how bond funding for the Senior Center could potentially be accessible for the Municipal Complex Project. Ms. Walker said every penny of the $11.25 million authorized by the voters will be needed for these renovations and the question has always been "could the City spend the full $11.25 million on this facility now that the City has decided to move the Senior Center tp another location?" She said Staff believes the money can be used for the renovations; however, Staff will file a Declaratory Judgement Action in District Court just to make sure. Mr. Floyd said the City is dealing with a budget that is 11 years old and an entire department the Informational Technology Division (IT), has been added. He said the Master Plan is a 25 to 30 year plan for the Municipal Complex so current plans build on that concept. Mayor Clark said, to clarify, the renovations will not take 25 to 30 years to complete and Mr. Floyd said no, but due to the long term planning Council will have to consider how to supplement funding because costs have risen since 2008. He said the cost estimates for the renovation project are still being refined and Council will be given a more detailed budget soon. Mr. Floyd highlighted work that has been completed or is nearing completion that includes Municipal Court Schematic Design (completed); Police Department Schematic Design (completed); Building C Schematic Design (completed); City Administrative Building Schematic Design (completed); and Development center Schematic Design (underway). He said design efforts will now be primarily focused on work related to the Development Services Center (current Library building) since the current offices in Building A will need to relocate to the current Library space to allow for Municipal Court renovations to begin. Design development and construction documents are anticipated to be completed in late 20 19 or early 2020. City Staff also anticipates releasing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in September for Construction Manager City Council Special Session Minutes September 3, 2019 Page2 Item 1, continued: at Risk (CMAR) services in order to have a CMAR firm involved in the design development and construction document costing and constructability review in progresses. Mr. McKinney said his group has been working on programming since early February and created a written program of needs assessments, projections of Staff, and growth. He said the all the City's wish lists are being met in the project floorplans with room for expansion to accommodate growth of these departments. He highlighted the site plan schematic design and said 37 parking spaces in the center of the Complex can be added to serve all buildings. Mr. McKinney highlighted the proposed renovations and said the modular building at the Municipal Court/Police Department will eventually be removed, but the Police Department is open 24/7 so some Staff may be shifted to the modular building to accommodate temporary work space during construction phases. He said the Municipal Court will move into Building A and the main entrance to Building A will be relocated to the west side of the building to be accessible to the parking lot. All other entry points for the various buildings will remain the same, but all entries will be enhanced to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility. He said McKinney is proposing to build an secure outdoor central courtyard dedicated for Staff. The Development Center will have a connection to the Administration Building as well as the outdoor courtyard. A new covered walkway will be constructed connecting the Administration Building to Buildings A andC. Mr. McKinney said there are three buildings McKinney calls "sequential" in that the Development Center renovation has to happen first to vacate Building A for Municipal Court to move from Building Band the Police Station would be third. He said non-sequential projects consists of the Administration Building and Human Resources/IT in Building C so these buildings can be done at the same time when funding is available. Mr. McKinney said all buildings will be identified with large sign graphics and McKinney is proposing the City drop the letters for Buildings A, B, and C and use the real department names on the buildings. He said there will be entrance points off of Gray Street and James Gamer Avenue with directional signs at each entrance as well as directories inside and outside of each building to direct the public. He said most of the attention will be focused on the interior space with entryways readily identifiable with fresh landscaping. Mr. Ward said McKinney met with Staff from the different departments and received a lot of great input. He presented the schematic design for each building and said the Development Center building (current Library) will be comprised of the Public Works Department, Planning Department, Utilities Department, Finance Department, and Parks and Recreation Department. Building C will include the Human Resources and IT Departments, and Building A will be Municipal Court. He said the Police, City Clerk, City Manager, Mayor, and Legal Departments will remain in their current location with some remodel of those offices. He said there will be a covered, secured drive-thru window for utility payments to include a camera system, similar to the what the banks use at their drive-thru windows. He said the Parks and Recreation Department will use the loading dock area for storing materials and supplies. Councilmember Scanlon asked what types of energy efficiencies are being proposed in the designs and Mr. Ward said all the buildings have new efficient mechanical systems and new roofs, but all the windows are single pane glass that will be replaced with thermally insulated glass and all the buildings need additional insulation for walls and ceilings as well. He said if Council wants to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification design criteria it will be very costly, but McKinney has designed LEED principles into the designs, such as water saving materials, use of natural day lighting, Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lighting, etc. He said energy savings will be continually scrutinized and addressed throughout the design process. Councilmember Wilson said she would like to incorporate some services for the homeless, such as shower facilities a/k/a Stop Stations. She said if that is not feasible, she would like for the City to be forward thinking in regards to future Stop Stations, such as water hook-ups for mobile shower trailers. City Council Special Session Minutes September 3, 2019 Page 3 Item 1, continued: Mr. Floyd reminded Council that Cleveland County is designing a Healthy Living Block and Norman Regional Heath System is redesigning their Porter Complex so both of these projects will include services for the homeless population. Mayor Clark said the City Council Business and Community Affairs Committee (BACA) will be discussing homeless issues in their next meeting and encouraged all Councilmembers to attend. Councilmember Petrone said Council has been talking about "Ready for 100" and there are benchmarks the City needs to meet for I 00% future renewable energy. She said it is important for the City to lead by example and the current Library's roof is large enough for solar panels and asked if that could be part of the bidding process. She also suggested the City incorporate rain gardens in the parking area islands to capture rain run-off. Mr. Floyd said Staff is working with the University of Oklahoma on an assessment for solar power potential for City facilities. Mr. Floyd said if the Municipal Court becomes a Court of Record there will be plenty of room for expansion. Mayor Clark asked Staff to explain the difference between a Court of Record and the current Municipal Court and Ms. Ronda Guerrero, Court Clerk, said a Court of Record requires a Court Reporter, additional Clerk Staff, additional Court Officers, additional Judges, a Prosecutor, etc., because jury trials would be held. She said the City would also have to have a full time Mental Health Coordinator and Interpreter. She said a Court of Record would definitely be a bigger expense to the City. Ms. Walker said a Court of Record would allow the City to prosecute more crimes and increase penalties as well as allow for appeals at the City level instead of having to go to District Court then back to the City. She said there are some benefits, but a Court of Record is more of a long-term solution rather than an immediate need. Councilmember Holman said he is excited about the Municipal Court Project because he has always wanted Municipal Court to have its own space and be away from the Police Department. Mr. Ward said the Police Department will be remodeled that includes removing the module building allowing for more parking spaces. The Police Department building has a basement currently being used for emergency communication personnel; however, a new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be constructed on east Robinson Street and the basement will be used for other purposes that includes a small communication area as backup to the new EOC. He said the basement is currently not accessible so an elevator will be added. He said the basement will also serve as the personnel exercise facility and there will be space allocated in the building for future growth. Councilmember Scanlon said when someone comes in to see a Police Officer the conversation takes place in the lobby, which is just not right. Will there be a more private areas for conversations with police officers and Mr. Ward said yes, there will be several " soft interview" rooms. Councilmember Holman said the current Police Department building is not in great shape so he is excited this building will be getting a much needed upgrade. He asked if the Police Department will have secured parking for police personnel vehicles and Mr. McKinney said that is being reviewed. Councilmember Scanlon asked the timeline of the projects and Mr. Ward said the renovation of the current library will take approximately 18 months then renovation of Building A can occur. He said the Police Department building will be a little trickier because it is a 24 hour department so construction will be slower due to having to work around Staff. He believes all proposed renovations can be completed within a three-year window. Mr. Ward said Human Resources and IT will be in Building C, which currently houses Human Resources, IT, and the Finance Department that includes the drive-thru utility window. He said the drive-thru area will remain as a drop-off area for the Print Shop supplies. He said IT will have a help desk area for Police Officers to use when their laptops or I-pads are not working properly. The front entry will remain in the same location with an expanded lobby area. He said there will be two computer training rooms, several small meeting rooms, and a large conference room in each department. He said there are also areas allocated for future growth. Item 1, continued: City Council Special Session Minutes September 3, 2019 Page4 Mr. Ward said in the Administration Building the Multi-Purpose Conference room will be removed for offices to house the Chief Communications Officer and Media Specialist. There will also be an office for a future Assistant City Manager. He said cosmetic issues, such as new carpet and paint, will be needed and security issues for the City Clerk, City Manager, and Mayor Offices will be addressed. He said the Central files area will be enlarged and the file rooms will be fire proofed with a fire suppression system that will not damage the records. He said the Council Chambers will be upgraded for ADA compliance that includes an accessible podium. A small desk will be installed for Staff that will have microphones so Staff will not have to step up to the podium to answer questions. Councilmember Holman said many people do not know the Administration Building has a large upstairs area where files are stored. He always thought that area could be potential usable office space and asked if that area could be configured in this renovation design plan for future growth. He is just curious as to what that would look like with a second exit from upstairs and what that would cost. Mr. Ward said he will look into that. Mr. Floyd highlighted estimated project costs that include the Development Center - $6.9 million; Municipal Court - $2.7 million; Police Department - $3.67 million; Human Resource and IT Departments - $2 million; and the Administration Building - $900,000 for total costs of $16,200,000. Items submitted for the record 1. Memorandum dated August 30, 2019, from Terry Floyd, Development Coordinator, to City Council, with Attachment A, Ordinance 0-0708-33, and Attachment B, Anticipated Municipal Complex Renovation Project Schedule 2. City of Norman Municipal Complex Renovation Site Plan - Schematic Design ***** Item 2, being: CONSIDERATION OF ADJOURNING INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AS AUTHORIZED BY OKLAHOMA STATUTES, TITLE 25 §307(8)(4) IN ORDER TO DISCUSS PENDING LITIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH RODGERS VS. CITY OF NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY COURT CASE CJ-2016-1195 AND FLESKE HOLDING COMPANY, LLC, VS. CITY OF NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY COURT CASE CV-2018-956 AND TORT CLAIMS RELATED TO SEWER BACKUPS AT 121 OLDE BROOK COURT, 201 OLDE BROOK COURT AND 213 OLDE BROOK COURT. Councilmember Petrone moved that the Special Session be adjourned out of and an Executive Session be convened into in order to discuss pending litigation associated with Rodgers vs. the City ofNorman and tort claims for sewer backups on Olde Brook Court, which motion was duly seconded by Councilmember Holman; and the question being upon adjourning out of the Study Session and convening into an Executive Session in order to discuss pending litigation associated with Rodgers vs. The City of Norman Fleske Holding Company, L.L.C., vs. the City of Norman and tort claims for sewer backups on Olde Brook Court, a vote was taken with the following result: YEAS: Councilmembers Bierman, Clark, Hall, Holman, Scanlon, Wilson, Mayor Clark NAYES: None The Mayor declared the motion carried and the Special Session adjourned out of; and an Executive Session was convened into in order to discuss pending litigation associated with Rodgers vs. the City of Norman, Fleske Holding Company, L.L.C., vs. the City of Norman, and tort claims for sewer backups on Olde Brook Court. City Council Special Session Minutes September 3, 2019 Page 5 Item 2, continued: The City Council convened into Executive Session at 7:07 p.m. Mr. Darrel Pyle, City Manager, and Mr. Mason Schwartz with Williams, Box, Forshee, and Bullard, outside legal counsel, were in attendance at the Executive Session. Thereupon, Councilmember Holman moved that the Special Session be reconvened, which motion was duly seconded by Councilmember Petrone; and the question being upon reconvening the Special Session, a vote was taken with the following result: YEAS: Councilmembers Bierman, Hall, Holman, Petrone, Scanlon, Wilson, Mayor Clark NAYES: None The Mayor declared the motion carried and the Special Session was reconvened at 7:58 p.m. The Mayor said pending litigation associated with Rodgers vs. the City of Norman, Fleske Holding Company, L.L.C., vs. the City of Norman, and tort claims for sewer backups on Olde Brook Court were discussed in Executive Session. No action was taken and no votes were cast. ***** The meeting was adjourned at 7:59 p.m. ATTEST: cla~di~ City Clerk