Agenda - 08-22-2006-9b - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 Available Funding for Construction of a 125-Vehicle Park and Ride Lot Located at DTCC Satellite Campus NCDOT CMAQ Capital Grant $111,261 County Match for CMAQ Grant ' $50,000 Total Available Funding $161,261 Funding for fiscal year 2006-07 as included in the Manager's Recommended 2006-16 Capital Investment Plan The purpose of the NCDOT Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) capital grant funds, outlined above, is to offset construction costs associated with the park and ride lot as well as to install two transit shelters (one at the lot and one in downtown Hillsborough). The shortfall between currently available funding and actual bids is about $180,000 ($341,000 bid for park and ride lot construction less $161,261 available revenue). A major contributing factor for the difference in projected costs and actual costs lies in the fact that material costs have increased significantly over the last year to eighteen months — for example, the cost of asphalt used in paving has increased about 80 percent over the last year. Some options for closing the gap between bid costs and available funding include building a smaller park and ride lot of 75 spaces or constructing a gravel lot. It is important to note that once the lot is completed, the County would need to purchase buses and annually fund the costs of operating the shuttle service between the satellite campus and downtown Hillsborough. The future cost impact of the new service will depend greatly on the number of trips needed to accommodate riders. Staff is analyzing the full cost of the service. To that end, NCDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have agreed to provide an additional $297,000 over a three-year period to offset the annual operational costs that are anticipated to come as the shuttle begins service from the new lot. The County has been informed by Durham Tech President Phail Wynn that additional funding may become available for some of the sustainable design elements. A grant program has been established by the State to allocate additional funds to Community Colleges for construction projects. Dr. Wynn is a member of the evaluation team that will make the allocations. Further, due to the favorable bids received for the project, Dr. Wynn indicates that additional funding may be available within the existing project budget to offset the cost of some of the sustainable elements. However, while some additional funds appear probable, it is premature to cite the specific amount. Staff recommends that the Board cite the preferred sustainable design elements at the pricing stated. The corresponding costs will be included in the affordability assessment that will be part of the August 31, 2006 work session, along with any additional information available by that time regarding the specific amount of additional funds that may be at the County's disposal for this project. The contract for construction of the sustainable design elements must be finalized by mid-September in order for the contractor to hold the current pricing. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board cite the sustainable design elements that it wishes to be included in the DTCC project, subject to affordability as determined during the August 31, 2006 work session; and authorize staff to notify DTCC of the contract amendment details following the August 31, 2006 work session.