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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 30, 1999 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 9-d <br />SUBJECT: Value Engineering Consultant Selection <br />DEPARTMENT: Purchasing & Central Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Scope of work statement from PES <br />Cost proposal <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />John Link, extension 2300 <br />Paul Thames, extension 2300 <br />Pam Jones, extension 2652 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough <br />732 -8181 <br />Chapel Hill <br />968 -4501 <br />Durham <br />688 -7331 <br />Mebane <br />336- 227 -2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider authorizing County staff to complete negotiations on an agreement with Pacific <br />Environmental Services (PES) to conduct constructibility reviews for two schools; and to endorse a <br />second phase of the selection process for a value engineering firm. <br />BACKGROUND: The desire of the County Commissioners to gain better control of resources <br />associated with construction of County and school facilities is well documented. Value engineering was <br />identified as a potential answer to this issue. As clarification, value engineering is a process whereby <br />each and every aspect of a project is reviewed by an unbiased third party, in collaboration with the other <br />key players, such as the designer and school and /or County personnel. <br />In order to ensure that value- engineering resources were available for the school projects during the <br />summer, the selection panel went through an intensive process with strident time constraints to bring <br />forward a recommendation for Board consideration. The selection process was enlightening and <br />brought new perspective about what a whole value- engineering program should be and what could be <br />expected of a properly carried out program. The interviewing consultants supported what we have <br />heard before, value engineering is most effective with it is begun early in project development. <br />Since bidding for the middle school project in Chapel Hill and the elementary school in Orange County is <br />imminent, these projects could not experience the full benefit of value engineering. <br />If the Commissioners desire to pursue any functional elements of value engineering for these two <br />projects, it is recommended that the Board consider retaining Pacific Environmental Services (PES) to <br />conduct constructibility reviews for the projects. Though not a total value engineering process, <br />constructibility reviews in these two projects can yield significant benefits, according to PES. The scope <br />of work for the constructibility review is attached for your information. It would involve intensive review <br />work for one week and would focus on items that would require minimum design change, but where <br />significant cost savings could be expected. Additionally, the consultant indicates that this process fine - <br />tunes the specifications, thereby avoiding conflicts with contractors when construction begins. This in <br />