RPVCCA_SR_2010_07_06_06_Civic_Center_Facility_AssessmentCITY OF
MEMORANDUM
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
TO:HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM:CAROL YNN PETRU,DEPUTY CITY MANAGER<Sf)
DATE:JULY 6,2010
SUBJECT:CIVIC CENTER FACILITY ASSESSMENT
REVIEWED BY:CAROLYN LEHR,CITY MANAGER ~
Project Coordinators:Andy Winje,PE,Associate Engineer"/u
Sara Singer,Senior Administrative Analyst#
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize staff to distribute a Request For Proposals (RFP)seeking professional services
to develop probable costs to renovate City Hall facilities.
INTRODUCTION
One alternative to the development of a new City Hall is to continue to use the existing
facilities for the provision of City services.An important element of this option is to develop
an understanding of the costs associated with bringing the current facilities up to current
building,safety,seismic,accessibility,environmental hazard and energy efficiency
requirements,and maintaining them for future use as the City's primary facilities for
operational and emergency services.The purpose of the effort is to develop a planning
level assessment of the current facilities to determine an opinion of probable cost to
renovate the buildings to current building and safety codes.If this preliminary assessment
determines that it would be cost effective to renovate the current facilities,a more detailed
and thorough assessment would likely be required thereafter to refine the cost estimate.
The current Civic Center buildings are 1950's-era military buildings that were acquired from
the federal government in 1979.Given that the existing facilities are more than 50 years
old,it is reasonable to expect that some renovation will be required to keep the buildings
useful and safe for an extended period of time.Certain deficiencies exist at the current
City Hall facilities,which should be addressed if the buildings are going to continue to
function as the primary operating facility for the City under both daily and emergency
circumstances.
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BACKGROUND
The City Council has directed staff to complete a baseline study for Upper Point Vicente
Park as part of the Civic Center Master Plan.An assessment of the existing City Hall
facilities (Administration BUilding,Community Development Building and the Cable
TV/Communications Center)is an important part of the baseline study.Considering the
era of construction and the elapsed time since their construction,the buildings are
experiencing increasing maintenance needs which are likely to continue.To maximize
their potential for adequate use for future generations,the buildings will at some point,
require renovations to meet acceptable accessibility requirements,and safety and utility
standards.
The City Hall buildings are used primarily as administration offices,but they also house
communication equipment and computer network equipment that is used by all City
departments for the provision of all City services.Because the City contracts for public
safety services,we do not have essential public safety facilities such as the Sheriff's
Station or Fire Department Headquarters located within the City limits.Therefore,the City
Hall facilities playa critical role in emergency response as a central communications center
to communicate with the public safety first responders,residents,and the media.Public
Works and Community Development are very important during emergencies because they
are the key responding departments at City Hall.Public Works and Community
Development staff is expected to respond to immediate community needs such as street
repairs,hillside stabilization,broken storm drain pipes,and inspection services.Further,
individual Council members have expressed concerns that the existing City Hall facilities
may be inadequate to allow for the continuation and continuity of local government services
during and following a disaster,such as a major earthquake.Given these considerations,
the City's performance objective is for City Hall facilities to be at the "immediate
occupancy"level,which is defined in the ASCE/SEI41/06 &FEMA 356 as:
Buildings meeting this performance level are expected to sustain minimal or no
damage to their structural elements and only minor damage to their non structural
components.While it would be safe to reoccupy a building meeting this
performance level immediately following a major earthquake,nonstructural systems
may not function due to either a lack of electrical power or internal damage to
equipment.Therefore,although immediate re-occupancy of the building is possible,
it may be necessary to perform some cleanup and repair,and await restoration of
utility service,before the building could function in a normal mode.The risk to life
safety at this performance level is very low.
This assessment will help to determine and quantify any deficiencies which exist based on
this performance objective.
SCOPE OF WORK
The goal of this RFP is to understand costs related to correcting any deficiencies
associated with the structures and systems of the physical plant of the City's administrative
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buildings.In addition to correcting deficiencies,prudence would dictate a look at bringing
the buildings up to current codes for new buildings to ensure a useful life of at least an
additional 20 years.The deficiencies staff has identified can be characterized as:building,
safety,seismic,accessibility,environmental hazards,and energy efficiency deficiencies.
Deficiencies associated with space needs,long term operational costs,community service
needs and compatibility with the overall master plan for the site are not included in this
scope,but are being addressed separately.
The buildings which are being evaluated as part of the assessment are:the Administration
building,Community Development building and the Cable TV/Communications Center.If
these buildings are expected to function into the future as primary operational facilities for
the City,they should be brought to a level of safety,sustainability and efficiency that is
appropriate for the needs of a responsive city government.The scope of this RFP will
address compliance with mandated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)law;seismic
hazard mitigation;mechanical,electrical and plumbing (MEP)upgrades;and fire,life and
safety (FLS)systems.
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)-This federal law requires government facilities like
City Hall to be made compliant by January 26,1992.This requirement is not voluntary nor
is it dependent on a trigger from other work like remodeling,renovation or re-purposing of a
facility.Certain projects have been completed (the main lobby elevator for example).
However,an internal audit of our facilities has revealed that additional work may be
required.The selected consultant would provide in the cost opinion an evaluation of ADA
compliance and include correcting any deficiencies.
Seismic Hazard Evaluation -The City commissioned a study in 2000 which evaluated the
seismic capacity of the Administration and Community Development buildings.It examined
construction methods and building condition,building response and structural
vulnerabilities,associated hazards and risks,and recommendations and cost estimates for
retrofit.This study evaluated the building hazards using performance-based objectives.It
also made recommendations for retrofitting the buildings to meet an "immediate
occupancy"performance level.This study was performed prior to adoption of current
building codes.Therefore,to be most useful,it should be reviewed and updated to
evaluate implications of the new code,new retrofit recommendations,and to update the
costs.
Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Upgrades -These systems have been maintained and
upgraded in piecemeal fashion over the life of the bUilding.When new,they have a
relatively low cost of maintenance,especially when compared to the hazards or
inconveniences due to failure (consider the effect of recent water pipe breakage at City
Hall.)However,the MEP systems in the existing buildings are not new and might be
described to be in fair condition at best.This makes them difficult to repair without the
cascading and additive effects inherent with older systems.Additionally,advances in
technology have made great strides towards efficiencies in operations,maintenance and
longevity.While a rigorous evaluation of long term operational (energy consumption)costs
is not in this scope,assessment of the MEP systems and an evaluation of the most cost
effective way to maintain or obtain a reliable and efficient set of systems into the future will
be included.
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Fire Life Safety Systems -The buildings were constructed long before current technology
for fire safety was in place and are deficient when compared with modern office buildings.
With the responsibility the City has to protect the lives of its residents and employees doing
business at City Hall,and to perform services without interruption especially during an
emergency,inclusion of an appropriate FLS system should be included in any modernizing
effort
Staff will ask for proposals to address both deficiencies in the current facility as well as
anticipated renovations to bring the buildings up to current building standards.The goal of
this evaluation is to determine the opinion of probable costs associated with gaining at
least 20 more years of use of the City Hall buildings in their current functions.These costs
will become part of the baseline assessment of the existing Civic Center facility and will aid
in comparing alternatives to be considered in the Civic Center Master Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
Costs for the Civic Center Facility Assessment are estimated to be under $25,000.This
cost will be paid using funds which were budgeted for the City Hall Feasibility Study in the
FY09-10 Capital Improvement Plan.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council could elect not to authorize this RFP,leaving a comprehensive evaluation
of costs to renovate the City Hall facilities out of the baseline study.
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