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Construction manager contract for North Cape Government Complex to come back to council

By MEGHAN BRADBURY 3 min read
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Cape Coral City Council voted against a request for proposal for construction manager at risk services for the North Cape Government Complex Wednesday, meaning the $54 million project is now at least temporarily on hold.

The project will come back to council with presentation to be given at next week’s council workshop.

Council denied Resolution 7-26, which would have awarded a contract to Charles Perry Partners, Inc. for construction manager at risk services for the North Cape Government Complex Fleet Maintenance Facility and the Property Management Facility. The pre-construction services were for an amount not to exceed $188,456.

Council members Jennifer Nelson-Lastra, Laurie Lehmann, Kieth Long, Rachel Kaduk and Mayor John Gunter voted against the resolution.

Construction manager at risk services is a type of project management method that employs a consultant during the design phase of a project.

Facility Project Manager John Osterstock said bidding would go through the construction manager at risk, which would shorten the process.

“The direction to move forward with the fleet facility, and the project management facility is put on hold,” Osterstock said.

Assistant City Manager Mark Mason said the city request for proposals was for the fleet facility and property management facility. He said the award of the RFP would be for the fleet facility only.

“I won’t be approving this because it says both and I hope my colleagues can see that as well,” Kaduk, who pulled the consent agenda item, said. “I called you Monday night, city manager, and you did not call me back so here we are doing it publicly, unfortunately.”

Long asked when the last time was that they had an update on the facilities, and sat and looked at the design. He said he would like to talk about the debt and the project itself.

Mason said they spoke about the fleet facility last year when developing the budget. He said with at least half of the money coming out of the general fund, they decided they were not funding the fleet facility, so they took it out.

Long said having a presentation with all the components and talking about debt beforehand, rather than dealing with it later, is preferred. He said these things matriculate down and things are allowed to get so far before looking at the big picture, which is why he voted no.

“We are looking at debt, and line items. How did we get here? I would hate to say we got here because this is in the consent (agenda),” Long said.

He said he is very familiar with the project, and he is not saying he is surprised. Long said they need to look back at it with a new lens as every year is a new budget, new forecasting.

“The context is what I am asking for,” he said.

With this resolution failing, Resolution 122-26, an amendment to a contract between the city and Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc. for additional professional design, permitting, and construction related services for the city’s North Cape Government Complex, also failed.

Osterstock said the amendment is to the design contract to capture a few items that came up during the design of the fleet facility.

To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com