Agenda - 05-05-2016 - 5-a - Minutes

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21 1 b. Award of Environment &Agriculture Center Professional Services Agreement 2 The Board considered authorizing Orange County to enter into a Professional Services 3 Agreement with HH Architecture of Raleigh, NC for design services for the Environment & 4 Agriculture Center (EAC) capital project upon final review of the County Attorney; and authorize 5 the Chair to execute the Agreement and any subsequent design amendments for contingent 6 and unforeseen design requirements on behalf of the Board. 7 Jeff Thompson, Orange County Director of Asset Management Services, reviewed the 8 following information: 9 10 BACKGROUND: On September 10, 2015 Orange County received responses to its Request 11 for Qualifications ("RFQ") issued on August 18, 2015 for professional design services for the 12 Environment & Agriculture Center capital project in accordance with North Carolina 13 Procurement Law and the Federal Mini-Brooks Act governing the selection and procurement of 14 professional services firms. The facility is contemplated to be designed from April 2016 through 15 the fall of 2016. 16 17 Staff reviewed responses from the nine (9) firms listed below. A staff panel consisting of 18 representatives from DEAPR, Economic Development, Cooperative Extension, Farm Services, 19 Soil and Water, the Commission for the Environment, and AMS evaluated the RFQ responses 20 and interviewed the highlighted*firms in October: 21 • Boomerang Design 22 • ESPA Architects and Planners 23 • Frank Harmon Architect 24 • HH Architecture* 25 • Hobbs Architects, PA* 26 • Innovative Design* 27 • MHA Works 28 • RND Architecture 29 • Smith Sinnett Architecture* 30 31 The staff panel selected HH Architecture to enter into fee negotiations with the County based 32 upon the firm's experience, portfolio of work, and the interview. Staff has negotiated an initial 33 basic services fee for design services (see Attachment 2, "HH Architecture Professional 34 Services Proposal") of $249,800, which includes significant stakeholder design input, an 35 extensive cost-benefit study comparing a major renovation to a deconstruction/new construction 36 process, and standard architectural and engineering design services. 37 38 Commissioner Pelissier said there was a reference in the scope to the Triangle J 39 Council of Governments (TJCOG) High Performance Building standards and the fact that they 40 are not being pursued. She asked if the high performance building standards could be 41 explained. 42 Jeff Thompson said the County has a policy to follow the Triangle J High Performance 43 Building standards, which look similar to the LEED standards, without the fees. 44 Commissioner Pelissier asked if there are going to be energy savings features. 45 Jeff Thompson said yes. 46 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the letter from HH Architecture about the scope and 47 asked if the local forestry operations office is the office currently on old 86. 48 David Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) 49 Director, said it is the County Forest Ranger who will be located in this building.