1991-08-26 Special Meeting
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 1991
PAGE 597
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in Special
Session on Monday, August 26, 1991, at 9:00 o'clock A.M. in Room
501 of the County Administration Building, 320 Chestnut Street,
Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Chairman Retchin called the Special Session to order and
stated the purpose of the meeting is to consider award of
construction bids for the expansion and renovation of the Law
Enforcement Center for additional jail space, hear a presentation
on the Space Needs Study for downtown governmental offices,
discuss the relocation of the 911 Center, and accept the 1991-92
HUD grant.
AWARD OF CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR THE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER
Architect Herb P. McKim, presented bid tabulations and
recommended award of the following construction bids for
expansion and renovation of the Law Enforcement Center:
Firm
Low Bid
$657,449
$ 43,500
$ 102,540
$ 175,300
S 138.930
$1,117,719
General - Clancy & Theys
Elevator - Dover Elevator
Plumbing - Kelly Plumbing
Electrical - Reagan Electric
HVAC - Sneeden, Inc.
Total Base Bid & Alternates
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Plus
5% Contingency
Furniture
Fees (CA & PA)
55,885
100,000
57.800
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$1,331,404
Architect McKim stated the bids were competitive and the low
bids plus a 5% contingency, furniture and other fees were $70,000
less than the estimated project cost. The project construction
is to begin on September 3, 1991, with a completion date of April
30, 1992.
Motion: After discussion, commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED
by Vice-Chairman Mathews to award the low bids as recommended by
the architect for a total base bid and alternates of $1,117,719
with a project cost of $1,331,404 including a 5% contingency,
furniture, and other fees. The Chairman was authorized to
execute the contract documents. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
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A copy of the bid tabulations are hereby incorporated as a
part of the minutes and are contained in Exhibit Book XIX, Page
15.
Vice-Chairman Mathews commented on visiting a jail in
Forsyth County where modular cells units have been utilized and
recommended that the County strongly consider this form of
construction when building secure detention cells in the second
phase of the jail project. He stated the units were well
designed as well as attractive.
DISCUSSION OF RELOCATING THE 911 CENTER
County Manager 0' Neal stated due to the expansion of the
existing jail facility in the Law Enforcement Center, the
Emergency 911 Center must be moved in the area formerly occupied
by the Patrol Division. In order to accomplish the move, the
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 199,1
PAGE 598. '. .'\
County must decide whether to move the existing equipment and add
additional dispatcher equipment, or lease new equipment. He
stated a plan has been prepared by Captain L. P. Hayes, of the
Sheriff's Department; Bill Clontz, Director of Management
Information Systems (MIS); and Pam Stevenson, Office Systems
Specialist of MIS. He introduced Ms. Stevenson, who presented
the recommendations concluded from the study.
Ms. Stevenson stated before deciding on whether to move the
existing 911 system or leasing new equipment, everyone must
understand there are two separate distinct systems under 911:
(1) the incoming system which delivers the incoming telephone
call to the 911 operator and simultaneously allows the operator
to view a screen showing the telephone number and address of the
caller; and (2) the radio dispatch system which forwards the call
to the proper emergency response agency, the Police Department,
Sheriff's Department, Fire Department, etc.
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After review of existing equipment, it is felt that due to
age and the poor condition of the current consoles, it is highly
questionable that the equipment can tolerate the move. In the
process of moving this fragile equipment, there is concern that
the equipment will experience failures at such a high rate that
it will be no longer functional. Also, the cost difference of
moving the equipment approaches the cost of leasing the
equipment.
The following cost summary was presented comparing the
expense of moving the current equipment versus the leasing of new
equipment:
Item
Move
Equipment
Lease
New Equipment
Relocation of 911
(Unbudgeted Expense)
$55,000
$48,000
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Maintenance Items
(Unbudgeted Expense)
$18,575
$18,575
Sheriff McQueen stated the County is approaching the time to
replace the existing equipment and he would recommend leasing of
new equipment because of age. He emphasized the importance of
having functional equipment for emergency response.
County Manager O'Neal stated after lengthy conversations
with Sheriff McQueen, Ms. Stevenson, and Captain Hayes, he is
convinced that the existing equipment cannot be moved.
Further discussion was held on future projects that may
impact the 911 equipment selection, such as implementation of an
800 mega-hertz communication system, the acquisition of a
Computer Aided Dispatch system, and the possible relocation of
the 911 Center.
Chairman
representative
the manner in
number of bids
Barfield stated he was contacted by a
from Communications Specialists with concern for
which bids were accepted and inquired as to the
received.
Ms. Stevenson stated bids have been received from Southern
Bell, Motorola, and Wilmington communications, Inc.
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Sheriff McQueen stated any firm should be allowed to bid on
a project; however, he notified Communications Specialists by
letter, approximately three months ago, that the services being
rendered were not acceptable and if these problems were not
corrected the contract would be terminated. He commented on
further problems being experienced since Mr. Frank McNeill is no
longer involved with the paging system and stated on behalf of
the County's interest, he would recommend using the services of
another vendor. Emphasis was placed on experiencing as little
down time as possible. Further discussion was held on fulfilling
the terms of the contract with Assistant County Attorney, Wanda
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 1991
PAGE 599
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Copley, stating the contract can be terminated under the
termination clause if failure to provide the contracted services
is properly documented.
commissioner Sutton inquired as to the total cost for
leasing the new equipment. Ms. Stevenson stated in the FY
1991-92 budget $108,000 was budgeted; therefore, $48,000 would
have to be added to this figure for leasing of new equipment for
a total of' $156,000. However, notice has just been received from
Southern Bell that a rate increase will occur in December;
therefore, the budgeted figure of $108,000 will automatically
increase to $124,000 regardless of whether the equipment is moved
or leased.
commissioner Sutton requested an explanation on the terms of
the lease. Ms. Stevenson stated the terms of the lease are based
on a 5-year rate with a non-allocation of funds clause on an
annual basis with a written agreement to guarantee no back end
charges if the lease is terminated during the 5-year period.
commissioner Greer commented on difficulty in believing that
a company is willing to lease equipment with the condition that
the equipment can be returned before expiration of the 5-year
contract with no additional charge to the County, and asked if a
written agreement has been prepared? Ms. Stevenson stated this
is presently a verbal agreement; however, when a decision is made
to lease the equipment this matter will be addressed and written
into the contract by the Legal Department.
County Manager O'Neal stated Staff is not requesting a
decision on whether to move the existing equipment or lease the
new equipment; however, an agreement is being prepared and a
recommendation will be presented to the Board at a later meeting.
commissioner Greer expressed concern for spending money
during a difficult budget year. County Manager O'Neal stated he
felt the same way until he recognized the immediate need to
update the existing equipment.
Commissioner Barfield commented on the 800 mega-hertz system
and inquired as to how this system will impact on the 911 System.
County Manager O'Neal stated the Radio Communications Task Force
is studying and preparing a recommendation to be presented to the
Board that will address issues of this nature.
County Manager O'Neal expressed appreciation to Sheriff
McQueen, Captain L. P. Hayes, MIS Director Bill Clontz, and
Office Systems Specialist Pam Stevenson for the time and effort
given to preparing the report.
Chairman Retchin, on behalf of the Board, expressed
appreciation to Staff for an excellent report and presentation.
ACCEPTANCE OF 1991-92 HUD GRANT FOR HUMAN RELATIONS
Motion: Commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner
Greer to accept the 1991-92 HUD grant ln the amount of $6,400.
The Chairman was authorized to execute the grant documents. Upon
vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
PRESENTATION OF LONG-RANGE SPACE AND STAFF NEEDS STUDY FOR NEW
HANOVER COUNTY
Architect Herb P. McKim stated the purpose of the long range
planning study is to provide a planning tool to use in addressing
future space needs and facilities for a more efficient operation
of the departments of County Government. He stated the following
objectives were utilized for performing the study:
1. To locate deficiencies in the physical surroundinqs and
department adiacencies: This is the key objective and the basis
for which the study was performed. The quantity and quality of
the space in which employees work is vital to the efficiency of
efforts to do their work. Each space in each department has been
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 19.9.1
PAGE 600
reviewed with a recommendation outlined in the study. This
includes the relationship and adjacency of each department to the
other departments with which they interface.
2. proiect growth in space and staff: The area and staff size
was researched from 1974 to date and projected for the next five
years. This was analyzed in relation to growth in population and
in the characteristics of the population changes. Services and
service areas were analyzed for trends which caused, or appeared
to cause, a work load change in a particular department.
Comments were received from almost every employee and the work
conditions were observed.
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3. Organize department locations for increased flexibilitv and
efficiency: Through interviews with department heads and written
comments from staff, a relationship matrix was developed which
depicts the primary and secondary adjacencies for each
department. This formed the basis for recommending changes in
location of the departments.
4. Maximum renovation and reuse of existinq county properties,
whenever possible: While there are several pieces of property
available to the county in the downtown area, it became evident
that the county owned more than enough property to meet the
requirements of these departments, excluding the move of parts of
the Sheriff's Department. It is also important for the functions
of City and County Government to be adjacent to each other to
better serve the public. This is especially true for those
departments which are jointly managed. It is importance to
maintain privately owned properties in this part of town to
support the tax base.
5. Propose sequence of phasinq and prioritizinq immediate needs:
The basic objective for long range planning is to provide
recommendations for implementation space changes by a sequence
which will remedy the critical needs in a prioritized order.
This objective has been included in this study.
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General trends were presented on the population; courts and
law enforcement; construction and tax collections; paper
production and storage; and employment with projected percentage
increased in all categories.
After a space analysis finding process the following
conclusions were drawn:
1. Parking for the public users of Government is
deficient.
2. Long term and some special storage is deficient.
3. Space in county held property is adequate for the
near future.
4. Several departments are in an inappropriate location.
5. Staffing levels seem appropriate.
6. The growth of the County Government from 1974 to 1991
appears to parallel with the growth of the County and
the changes in social patterns.
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The following recommendations were presented for the
existing County owned buildings:
JUDICIAL BUILDING:
1. In the Judicial Building, beginning on the lower floor,
expand the Clerk of Court's office to take in the space in the
northeast corner of the building for both additional office space
I and much needed storage.
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MINUT.ES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, J.991
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2. Expand the District Attorney's office by taking over the
Clerk's storage in the southeast corner.
3. When the Public Defender's office, just created by
legislation, comes into existence, use the space now occupied by
Small Claims Court.
4. On the second floor, third floor, and fourth floor of
the Judicial Building, all spaces remain as they now exist.
5. The major renovation happens on the fifth floor of the
Judicial Building. Remove all the old jail equipment and use
this space for most of the Juvenile Court Counselors offices.
Move the Juvenile Courtroom to the northeast corner of this floor
as well as a new conference room, the Juvenile Clerk's office, a
Juvenile Judges' Chambers, and special waiting room space.
6. Expand the offices of the Court to use all the space in
the southeast corner of the fifth floor, where Juvenile Court and
conference rooms were located.
7. The northwest corner of the Judicial Building which now
houses the Grand Jury, becomes the Small Claims Court. The Grand
Jury uses one of the small courtrooms.
8. Expansion of the courts, additional large superior
courtroom, more effective movement of prisoners, and additional
space for bailiff, etc. will be built as a two story space
connecting the Judicial Building to the Law Enforcement Building
over Fourth Street.
LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILDING:
1. The Law Enforcement Center renovation and expansion has
begun with the renovations now under contract. Work ln this
building should continue in accordance with the long range plan
for the Law Enforcement Center. There is one exception. The
Patrol Division, which now temporarily operates out of the old
terminal at the Airport, the Detective Division, Records, civil
Process and other departments are recommended to be housed in a
building at Eighth and Market Streets. This building will be
designed to have certain departments of the Wilmington Police
Department working jointly with the same departments from the
Sheriff's office.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING:
1. On the first floor leave Tax Collection space and the
Assembly Room where they are now located. Add on the southwest
corner a common use county collections drive-in office for all
county collections.
2. On the second floor re-use for Tax Office.
3. On the third floor, MIS will have the majority of the
floor along with Budget and the Community Service Program. The
south end will become expansion space for MIS in the long range.
4. The fourth floor will be shared by Human Resources and
Human Relations. with such similar names, when people have gone
to the wrong department, it will be easy to go to the other.
5. The fifth floor will be shared by the County Manager and
staff, the County Attorney and staff, along with a large public
conference room to be shared by both departments.
6. On the sixth floor, the
the Insurance Advisory Committee,
occupy this space.
County Commissioners' office,
and Finance Department will
In general the County Administration Building will be
brought up to current code by completely renovating each floor to
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 1991
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meet the public access code, electrical and mechanical standards,
and the current building code.
LIBRARY BUILDING:
1. In the basement, construct a managed long range and
mid-range storage facility for all departments of the County.
2. On the third floor, leave space for the Library
Administration to occupy in the future. In the balance of the
space on this floor, place the Inspections Department,
Engineering Department, Planning Department, and Property
Management Department. These departments constantly work
together and all have a high use factor from the public, which
will be provided access from the parking lot at Third & Grace
Streets, through a new stair and elevator access to the third
floor.
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COUNTY ANNEX BUILDING:
1. This building will be used as a staging building to
accommodate the departments as the renovations occur, after which
it should be removed and utilized for additional parking or for a
new County Administrative Office Building in the future.
EMS BUILDING:
1. This building is full and currently occupied by
Emergency Medical Services, the County Print Shop, and houses the
Nursing Program for Cape Fear Community College. The building
was designed for automobile parking on the roofi therefore, it
will probably support an additional floor if there is need for
additional space in the future.
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In order to accomplish the recommendations of the study, the
work should be performed in phases. The following phases and
cost projections were presented:
PHASE I: Renovate the East Wing of the main level of the
Law Enforcement Center to house 84 beds of minimum security
dormi tory type cells and renovate the South Wing for Emergency
Management and 911.
PHASE II: Construct the basement, third floor renovations,
and the new access unit to the Library Building to provide space
for storage, the Engineering, Planning, Inspections, and
Property Management Departments.
PHASE III: Prepare the County Annex Building to house, on a
temporary basis, all the departments currently located on the
third and fourth floors of the County Administration Building.
Move current occupants of these departments into the Annex
Building.
PHASE IV: Renovate the third and fourth floors of the
County Administration Building and move MIS, the Community
Services Program, Budget Department, Human Resources Department,
and Human Relations into the third and fourth floors.
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PHASE V: Move the occupants of the fifth and sixth floors
to the Annex Building and renovate these floors. Once completed,
the fifth floor will be occupied by the County Manager and Staff,
and the County Attorney and staff with a large conference room to
be shared by these departments. The sixth floor will be occupied
by the County Commissioners' office, the Finance Department, and
the Insurance Advisory Committee.-
PHASE VI: Move portions of the Tax Off ice to the Annex
Building and renovate the first and second floors. Move the Tax
Department back into this space. Raze the County Annex Building
for parking or other uses to be determined.
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 1991
PAGE 603
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PHASE VII: Remove the old jail equipment and partitions on
the fifth floor of the Judicial Building. Construct the space
for Juvenile Court Counselors in this area. Move the Juvenile
Court Counselors into the new space. Renovate the northeast
corner of the fifth floor and move the Judicial Court and others
into that space. Renovate the additional space for the offices
of the Court.
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PHASE VIII: Construct the new building at Eighth and Market
Streets (former st. James Inn) and have the Sheriff's Department
and Police Department to occupy this building.
PHASE IX: Renovate the northeast corner of the first floor
of the Juvenile Building and move the Clerk of Court into this
space. Renovate the southwest corner vacated by the Clerk of
Court and move the District Attorney into that space.
PHASE X: Renovate the spaces vacated in the Law Enforcement
Building for the expanded kitchen and additional jail space and
other spaces.
PHASE XI: Construct the connector between the Judicial
Building and the Law Enforcement Center.
The long range plan breaks down logically into separate
phased proj ects which could proceed on parallel schedules, one
part being the County Administration Building which involves
three buildings, and the other part being Law Enforcement and the
courts which involves three other buildings.
PHASES TIME SCHEDULE COST
Phase I (Under contract, 240 days) $1,117,719 @ $79.84 sq. ft.
Phase II 9 months $1,566,670 @ $38.45 sq. ft.
. Phase III 2 months $ 315,000 @ $15.00 sq. ft.
Phase IV 8 months $ 831,550 @ $46.50 sq. ft.
Phase V 4 months $ 615,950 @ $42.20 sq. ft.
Phase VI 4 months $ 438,500 @ $25.60 sq. ft.
Phase VII 8 months $ 469,920 @ $48.95 sq. ft.
Phase VIII 12 months $1,900,000 @ $70.00 sq. ft.
Phase IX 4 months $ 131,376 @ $29.75 sq. ft.
Phase X 18 months $3,376,000 @ $102.97 sq .ft.
Phase XI 12 months $1,400,000 @ $110.00 sq .ft.
The projected cost estimates are based on 1991 dollars
without inflation. ?hase I involves the immediate expansion of
the jail for additional cells; Phases II through Phase VI involve
the County Administration Building and are prioritized in order;
Phases VII through XI involve Law Enforcement and the Courts.
Vice-Chairman Mathews inquired as to the cost factor
involved with moving the offices back and forth from temporary
space to permanent space. Architect McKim stated $315,000 has
been incorporated into the proposed cost estimate.
Architect McKim stated as the County moves into the
implementation of this Long Range Space Plan, several programming
considerations should be adopted as follows:
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1. Space Planning Guidelines should be used in estab-
lishing a uniform size for offices in the design
of spaces in the renovations and additions.
2. For areas where large numbers of clerical workers
will be located, space divided work stations should
be used to increase efficiency of the offices. Only
staff members who need privacy, or persons whose
work would interfere with others should have enclosed
offices. Commissioners, department heads, managers,
and other similar personnel should have enclosed
spaces.
3. The construction of all new spaces should be totally
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MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 26, 1991 .
PAGE 604
flexible. All partitions should be movable or de-
mountable to allow rearrangement of spaces with a
minimum disruption of work. Mechanical and elect-
rical systems should be designed to accommodate
this flexible system.
County Manager O'Neal requested the Commissioners to review
the plan as submitted and forward comments to Staff and Architect
McKim in order to declare this as a final document to serve as a
guideline for future space needs.
After discussion of the plan and time to study the report,
Chairman Retchin, on behalf of the Board, complimented Architect
Herb McKim for an excellent report.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: Commissioner Greer MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner
Barfield to adjourn. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Chairman Retchin adjourned the meeting at 11:20 o'clock A.M.
;'2Yecdz;:ed.
~ F. Harrell
Clerk to the Board
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