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2000-10-09 Special Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 240 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in special session with the Wilmington City Council to discuss shared facilities on Monday, October 6, 2000, at 5:00 P.M. in City Council Chambers, 102 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Board Members present were: Chairman William A. Caster, Presiding; Vice-Chairman Robert G. Greer; Commissioner Buzz Birzenieks; Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr.; Commissioner Charles R. Howell; and County Manager, Allen O’Neal; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell. Council Members present were: Mayor David L. Jones, Presiding; Mayor Pro-Tem Katherine B. Moore; Councilmembers Frank S. Conlon; J. C. Hearne, II; Sandra Spaulding-Hughes; Laura Padgett; Charles H. Rivenbark, Jr.; and City Manager, Mary M. Gornto; City Attorney, Thomas C. Pollard; and City Clerk, Penelope Spicer-Sidbury. Mayor Jones and Chairman Caster called their respective boards to order. Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell, gave the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Commissioner Birzenieks. Mayor Jones requested the City Clerk and County Clerk to prepare the minutes as soon as possible. He also asked each member of the City Council and Board of County Commissioners to direct questions to the appropriate person to save time. UPDATE ON NEW HANOVER COUNTY CAPITAL PROJECTS County Manager O’Neal presented a status report on the following capital building projects: Judicial Building Expansion: Renderings were presented of the judicial expansion to be located next to the Historic Courthouse on Third Street. This project is already underway and will provide badly needed space for the Court System. The building has been designed to blend with the Historic Courthouse and adjacent buildings as well as enhance the street scape on Third Street. Existing Law Enforcement Center: Freeman White Architects are in the process of developing the design for use of the space in the existing Law Enforcement Center. No definite decision has been made by the Board of County Commissioners to move the Sheriff’s administrative space to the Jail Complex on Blue Clay Road. If the administrative space is not moved from the Law Enforcement Building, the same functions will remain in this building but space needs for the Emergency Management Department and 911Center will have to be addressed. The architect’s recommendation will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners on November 13, 2000. Sheriff’s Administration Building: A rendering was presented on the location of a new Sheriff’s Administration Building within the Jail Complex. Since no final decision has been made on whether the administrative space will be part of the project, Option I will be included in the bid package as an alternate which will consist of locating the Emergency Operations Center and 911 Center on the Blue Clay Road site at a cost $4,100,000. These facilities will serve the City and County. A decision will be made by the Board of County Commissioners on November 13, 2000. Parking Deck: A rendering was presented of a 620 space parking deck that will be located beside Carolina Courtyard on the existing Library site. Renderings of the Third Street and Grace Street elevations were presented. The parking deck will be offset from Third Street to blend with the Carolina Courtyard. To soften the structure from Third Street, plantings and two small fountains will be placed on the site. The bid award should be approved at the December 11, 2000 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. The completion date of the parking deck is important because the parking needs of the expanded judicial building must be met. New Administration/Annex Building: The Board of County Commissioners has authorized Staff to move forward with alternate bids for a 3-story or 6-story building. Design work has been NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 241 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 developed for both levels, and renderings were presented showing the elevations from Grace Street and Third Street. If a 3-story building is constructed, it will house the departments in the current th Annex Building located at 5 and Chestnut Streets. If a 6-story building is constructed, departments from the Annex Building and the 320 Chestnut Street Administration Building will be housed in this structure. The bid award will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners on December 11, 2000. rd New Hanover County Library 3 Floor Renovation: The Commissioners have authorized Staff to move forward with the design and development of renovating the third floor of the Library. This work will be an alternate to the parking deck bid. There will be a connection from the parking deck to the third floor of the Library. The bid award will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners on December 11, 2000. New Jail Facility: Renderings were presented of the proposed jail to be constructed on the Blue Clay Road site showing the pods with double cells and single cells, a dorm in the middle of the complex, the community sentencing building for work release clients, sallyport for bringing in inmates, and the administrative space for the Sheriff’s Department, which has not been approved by the Commissioners as part of the Jail Complex. Precast cells and the early site package are under contract for the new jail facility. Five more design development bids (early pilings package, general construction package, plumbing construction package, mechanical construction package, and electrical construction package) will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners between February 5, 2001 and April 16, 2001. In closing, County Manager O’Neal reported that the County has spent approximately $1,000,000 on architect fees and $90,000 for feasibility studies. A question and answer period followed. Councilmember Rivenbark referenced the fact that the judicial building expansion and configuration of the parking deck were already in progress, and he asked how many additional parking spaces will be gained from the new parking deck. Deputy County Manager Atkinson responded that 300 new spaces will be gained; however, these spaces will be used to accommodate the judicial building expansion. Most of the remaining spaces will be allocated for spaces lost when constructing the parking deck and Administration Building on the Library site. Adequate parking has to be provided for library patrons, library employees, and county employees in the new Administration Building. Also, parking spaces will be lost on the corner of Market and Third Streets with construction of the judicial building expansion. If the Sheriff’s Administration Building is constructed on the Blue Clay Road site, the 100 parking spaces under the existing Law Enforcement Center will be reallocated. Councilmember Rivenbark referenced the new Administration Building and requested County Manager O’Neal to explain the reasoning behind a 3 or 6-story building. County Manager O’Neal responded that the Board of County Commissioners will have to decide whether to construct a 3-story building to accommodate the functions in the Annex Building th located at the corner of 5 and Chestnut Streets or construct a 6-story building to accommodate functions of the Annex Building and County Administration Building. At the current time, discussion is being held on the possibility of constructing a 6-story building with the top 3 floors left vacant for future occupancy. Councilmember Rivenbark requested the County Manager to comment on the condition of the County Administration Building and explain the functions that will remain in this building if a 3 or 6-story Administration Building is constructed on the Library site. County Manager O’Neal reported that the County Administration Building was built in late th 1951 and is still in good condition. There are six floors in the building, and all floors but the 5 floor have been renovated during the past 10 years. Most of the renovations have been made by the NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 242 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 Property Management Department. If a 6-story building is constructed on the Library site, none of the existing departments will remain in the County Administration Building. If a 3-story building is constructed, departments in the Annex Building will be moved, and the existing departments in the County Administration Building will remain in place. The Annex Building will be demolished, and the Engineering, Water and Sewer Finance, Planning, and Inspections Departments will be moved to the new building. Discussion was held on the renovations and the possibility of expanding the existing County Administration Building. County Manager O’Neal reported that Sharpe Architects has submitted a proposal to remove the blue panel from the outside of the building, replace all windows, upgrade the heating and air conditioning system, and replace the elevators at a projected cost of $1,400,000. Regardless of what decision is made, this building should be retained for future use. The building can be privately leased, used by the courts, or expanded toward Third Street to be used by the City and County. Discussion was held on the Jail Complex and overcrowding in the New Hanover County Jail. Mayor Jones emphasized the importance of the public clearly understanding that responsibilities of cities and counties are entirely different in two major categories, jails and courts. The County has a choice of building the Jail Complex at a cost of $50,000,000 or allowing the federal government to take over the jail system in New Hanover County. If the jail is operated by the federal government, there will be no mercy for the taxpayers, and the proposed cost would more than double. A lengthy discussion followed on the jail population. County Manager O’Neal reported that the jail population today was 250 with 45 to 50 inmates in other jail facilities. The cost for transporting inmates to other facilities is approximately $125,000 per month. The population capacity of the jail is 209, and the capacity of the new jail will be 608, which will increase to 648 if the dorm section is constructed. Most of the jail construction is single cells with some double cells. Approximately 80% of inmates in the New Hanover County Jail are pre-trial cases, which means these inmates have been charged with a crime but have not gone through the judicial process. Frequently people charged with a crime are not guilty; therefore, New Hanover County has the responsibility to insure safe housing for the inmates as well as jailers, medical personnel, and other employees working in the jail. Discussion followed on housing federal inmates. County Manager O’Neal explained that New Hanover County already has a contract with the Federal Court System to house 25 federal prisoners at a designated fee per day which generates revenue for the jail. Once the new jail is completed, the County will also have an opportunity to house inmates from other counties. The jail has been designed to be expanded to 1,000 cells as needed in the future. A lengthy discussion followed on constructing one building to house the Wilmington Police Headquarters and Sheriff’s administrative services. County Manager O’Neal explained that the jail project would consist of cells, administrative space, and support services. The majority of space will be needed for support services such as the kitchen, medical facilities, laundry facilities, etc. However, the design of the Jail Complex also contains a separate Sheriff’s Administration Building with 105,000 square feet to house administration, the patrol division, civil division, etc. The major delay in removing the Sheriff’s administration space from the Jail Complex will be redesigning the heating and air conditioning system, which according to the architect, will delay the project for a period of three to six months. Mayor Jones referenced a meeting held several weeks ago, and he asked both managers if they had discussed the possibility of combining the City and County law enforcement administrative services. County Manager O’Neal responded that no discussion had occurred with the City Manager since that meeting. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 243 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 City Manager Gornto responded that no discussion had occurred since the meeting; however, discussion has been held with the consultant for the Police Headquarters who indicated that the national trend is leaning toward not combining law enforcement administrative services in one building. In fact there are several situations where combined law enforcement administrative services are now being separated. It is also felt that placing both administrative departments in one building will not reduce the size of the structure. Ancillary services, such as one weight room versus two weight rooms, or four bathrooms versus five bathrooms, could save a small amount of space. The fact remains that the same number of City and County personnel will need the same amount of space in one building. There could be some efficiencies by the two departments working in one building, but the duties and functions of the Police Department and Sheriff’s Department are quite different. In order to combine these departments, approximately 200,000 square feet of space will be needed with a significant amount of parking. The two sites currently under review by the City could accommodate the space and parking needs with a tall building and large parking deck. The City is not planning a parking deck with the initial construction of a Police Headquarters. Mayor Jones asked County Manager O’Neal whether the two proposed buildings would be needed if consolidation or merging the law enforcement agencies should occur in the future. County Manager O’Neal responded that placing the City and County law enforcement administrative services in one building would save a minimal amount of space and money. If consolidation or a merger of these departments should occur in the future, the space in the two buildings will be needed, and the location of these buildings will provide a law enforcement presence in the northern part of the County and central part of the County, which will be an advantage under a consolidated government. Commissioner Birzenieks asked whether it would be better to have one law enforcement center downtown and one in the county if the governments were consolidated tomorrow and the capital projects were in process of being designed. County Manager O’Neal advised that certain efficiencies would be gained with the law enforcement operations located in one facility; however, there is a need for law enforcement presence throughout the county. City Manager Gornto reported from an operating point of view, all law enforcement activities should be in one location; however, if the City and County are consolidated and have two buildings, law enforcement functions and court functions could be assigned to the appropriate building. Management issues would have to be addressed. The site on Blue Clay Road would not work because a patrol presence would need to be closer to city areas. Commissioner Davis asked if the existing Law Enforcement Center could be used for a joint City and County law enforcement administration building. County Manager O’Neal responded that the modifications required would be monumental as well as extremely expensive. With existing water intrusion problems, it would be better to demolish the building and reconstruct a new facility. Commissioner Davis expressed concern for not being able to construct one building for law enforcement administrative needs and stated that every citizen living in the unincorporated county and city limits would benefit from the City and County joining resources and spending money more efficiently by sharing buildings or other needs. County Manager O’Neal advised that both governments are currently in need of more office space which presents a potential to jointly explore constructing and sharing administration buildings. Mayor Jones requested the City Manager to present an update on capital projects for the City before further discussion occurs on the opportunities to share facilities. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 244 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 UPDATE ON CITY OF WILMINGTON CAPITAL PROJECTS City Manager Gornto reported on the following projects: Police Headquarters: The City Council awarded a contract in November 1999 to McClaren, Wilson, and Lawrie, Inc. to conduct a space needs analysis and site evaluations at a cost of $65,000. A report was presented to the City Council in May 2000 including both programming and site potentials. In June 2000, City Council concurred with consideration of the following potential sites: thth (1) City property located between 16 and 17 Street where the City Lot Complex is currently located; (2) property located on Randall Parkway, and (3) a portion of the Coca Cola property near th 10 and Princess Streets. In July, the contract with McClaren, Wilson and Lawrie, Inc. was amended to include services for a Request for Qualifications review, and in August 2000 the contract was amended to include consulting services during design. Also, in August 2000, the City Council awarded a contract to Boney Architects to design the new Police Headquarters. Currently, Boney Architects has only been authorized to proceed with a detailed site analysis. Appraisals will be performed on two of the three sites. Staff is not currently moving forward with the Coca Cola site. City Council has appropriated $4 million to cover the design cost and land acquisition. A site should be determined by December 2000, authorization for the architect to proceed with the design will be approved in January 2001, and construction of the Police Headquarters should be completed by June 2003. The consultant has been retained to work with the local architect in terms of the functional aspects of the building during the construction process. No parking deck is being planned for this building. Both sites could accommodate a parking deck. The square footage of the new building will be 73,000 square feet. Due to the condition of the present Police Headquarters with no handicap accessibility, inadequate plumbing, and inadequate security, a new building is badly needed. thth Chairman Caster requested an explanation of the 16 and 17 Street site. City Manager Gornto explained that the building located on the site was the former Southern Bell building. The parcel includes property south of Marstellar Street, which will be closed, with a portion of the site owned by the County and two small privately owned properties. City Administrative Offices: In December 1998, the City contracted with an architect to design an expansion to the existing property located at 305 Chestnut Street to house Administrative Services, Finance, and Human Resources. In July 1999, the architect was authorized to move forward with a 2-story building comprised of 27,000 square feet to be built over the existing annex. In November 1999, the City acquired the building at 315 Chestnut Street, formerly the law office across the street from the County Administration Building, At that time a review was made of the available alternatives, and it was decided to move forward with a revised design for 2-story construction over the existing building at 305 Chestnut Street. In July 2000, the bids were opened and the low bid substantially exceeded the architect’s estimate; therefore, it was recommended that City Council reject all bids received. In September 2000, Council rejected the bids and authorized staff to lease temporary space for two years to meet urgent space needs. Staff was also authorized to prepare a Master Site Development Plan for property in the block rdth bounded by 3, 4, and Chestnut Streets. A question and answer period followed. Councilmember Rivenbark requested an explanation of the City’s space needs. City Manager Gornto responded that additional space is badly needed for the Finance Department, Human Resources Department, and Administrative Services Department, which includes purchasing, budget, and management of the fleet operations. Currently files are stored in hallways, applicants are sitting in hallways, and auditors have no space to use when conducting the annual audit. The amount of space needed is at least 30,000 square feet instead of the 27,000 square feet originally designed. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 245 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 Councilman Rivenbark requested an explanation of the County’s space needs. County Manager O’Neal stated if the County left the Administration Building and Annex Building, a 6-story Administration Building would have to be constructed on the Library site. The square footage needed would be 60,000 square feet. Councilmember Rivenbark stated since the total space needed by the City and County is approximately 90,000 square feet, the County could remain in the County Administration Building and the City and County could jointly expand this building by adding 5 or 6 floors toward Third Street at 10,000 square feet per floor. This would provide enough space to house both governments and eliminate the need to construct an Administration Building on the Library site. The parking deck at the Library could then be expanded to accommodate parking needs. Mayor Jones asked both managers if the administrative services provided by the City and County could be shared in one building. County Manager O’Neal suggested that he and the City Manager could sit down and analyze the numbers. There is a possibility for the City and County to jointly construct a 6-story Administration Building on the Library site and renovate the existing County Administration Building to accommodate current space needs for both governments. If additional space is needed in the future, the County Administration Building could be expanded toward Third Street. Chairman Caster suggested allowing the managers to review the idea of jointly constructing the 6-story Administration Building and renovating the existing County Administration Building. Vice-Chairman Greer suggested that the City Council and Board of County Commissioners should decide on what is the best approach for both governments and instruct Staff to follow that direction. He stated for the record he was in favor of a joint law enforcement building and joint administration building, which will save money for the taxpayers. Mayor Pro-Tem Moore agreed and stated once the City Council and Board of County Commissioners decide on what should be initiated as a joint venture, concrete direction should be provided to Staff so they can accomplish the task. Commissioner Birzenieks spoke in favor of a joint administration building and law enforcement building and stated if consolidation or functional consolidation should occur in the future, it would be an advantage to have joint buildings. He urged both governments to start thinking about shared facilities. Councilmember Conlon said after listening to the City Manager and County Manager, it would be impractical to combine the law enforcement activities with only a minimal savings. It appears there is some merit in reviewing joint construction of a 6-story building on Grace and Third Streets with renovation of the existing County Administration Building. This concept could save time and money. The City and County have moved too far in the design process to combine the law enforcement activities. At this stage the City Council and Board of County Commissioners should look to co-location, which in future years may develop into merging of functions or ultimate consolidation. Mayor Jones asked Councilmember Conlon if he would like to put that statement in the form of a motion. Motion: Councilmember Conlon made a motion to direct the City Manager to work with the County Manager on presenting a plan or feasibility study on the construction of a 6-story building at the Library site and renovate or modify the County Administration Building. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Hearne. A lengthy discussion was held on the motion. Mayor Jones requested Staff to keep Council updated, and Councilmember Rivenbark asked that Staff show what the long term benefits would be NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 246 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 in terms of space gained and to look into the feasibility of adding on to the existing County Administration Building as well as other alternatives. Councilmember Rivenbark requested the statements to be added as an amendment to the motion. Councilmembers Conlon and Hearne accepted the amendment and it was approved unanimously. After further discussion, Chairman Caster called for a motion. Motion: After requesting the Clerk to the Board to read the motion, Commissioner Birzenieks MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Davis, to direct the County Manager and City Manager to explore the possibility of jointly constructing a 6-story Administration Building on the Library site, renovate or add on to the existing County Administration Building, report on the property that will become available as a result of this joint effort, and keep both governing bodies informed on the cost and progress of the study. Discussion followed on whether the motions approved should reference a 6-story building and it was the consensus of both boards to allow the wording to remain open and remove this figure of speech. Amended Motion: Commissioner Birzenieks MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Davis to amend the motion to remove the 6-story wording from the motion. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED by a 4 to 0 vote. Due to a prior commitment, Commissioner Howell had left the meeting before the vote was taken. A lengthy discussion followed on jointly constructing a law enforcement building. Councilmember Padgett spoke on the immediate need for the County to move forward with constructing the new Jail Complex and the need for the City to move forward with constructing a new Police Headquarters. She expressed concern for trying to continue this effort when both governments have spent a great deal of money and time in design of the two facilities. Chairman Caster agreed with Councilmember Padgett and advised that a decision needs to be made because the County has a stringent time frame. Councilmember Rivenbark requested the County Commissioners to consider leaving the 911 Center and Emergency Management Department in the downtown area to better accommodate the City and County governments during emergency events. Mayor Pro-Tem Moore stated if consolidation should occur at a later date, and both law enforcement facilities have been constructed, it would not be an extravagant expenditure because a presence of law enforcement will be needed in the northern part of the county. Consensus: After referencing the time constraints and money already expended, it was the consensus of the City Council for the City and County staffs to look at combining office administration buildings and not the Police Headquarters and Sheriff’s Administration Building. Commissioner Davis stated that it was unfortunate the City Council did not feel a joint law enforcement administrative building could be considered. Councilmember Conlon advised that he was concerned about the time crunch placed on the County to build a new jail and stated as a County resident, he would like for New Hanover County to build the jail instead of the federal government. Commissioner Davis explained that jail construction could continue while the City and County review the possibility of jointly constructing a joint law enforcement administrative building. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 28 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING WITHPAGE 247 WILMINGTON CITY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 9, 2000 County Manager O’Neal stated if a decision is made to remove the Sheriff’s administrative space, mechanical services will have to be redesigned which will delay the jail project for 3 to 6 months according to the architect. Commissioner Davis and Vice-Chairman Greer strongly objected to being told that it will require 3 to 6 months to redesign a heating and cooling system. No further discussion was held on this issue. Councilmember Rivenbark spoke on the need for the City Council and Board of County Commissioners to be obligated to call meetings when either government is discussing a long-term need so consideration can be given to joint projects. If both governments had discussed the law enforcement space needs before moving forward with the proposed projects, it might have been possible to construct a joint facility. Both boards agreed with the statement made by Councilmember Rivenbark. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Caster expressed appreciation to the members of the City Council for holding a meeting to discuss shared facilities and for allowing the Council Chambers to be used so the meeting could be televised. There being no further business, Chairman Caster and Mayor Jones adjourned their respective boards at 7:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board