City council still holding fast to library construction buffer

By Oakley Brooks

The city council held off on allowing the balance of the $15 million library bond to be freed up for contractors after several council members worried a $500,000 buffer fund might evaporate if released now, early in construction.

The second phase of construction, now under way at the Saratoga Avenue site, is expected to be complete in winter 2003.

City officials, contractors and members of a citizen oversight committee expect the construction costs in the second phase to run the project total to $14.1 million.

Last year, the council directed architect Mark Schatz to design a $14.5 million library, which would leave a $500,000 emergency stash.

But the library team recently asked the council to free up money in the buffer for "soft costs"--things such as inspections, tests, photocopying, mailings and temporary library maintenance.

Working with the oversight committee, officials and contractors say they have figured another 7 percent of the entire budget will be needed to cover the "soft costs." That would run the project to $14.9 million.

But crossing the $14.5 million threshold early in the second phase of construction worried Vice Mayor Evan Baker and Councilman John Mehaffey. They suggested March 20 that earlier estimates for the library project, made in the planning stages in early 2001, were deliberately low.

"I'm disturbed by this," Mehaffey said. "I think we've been lied to."

Oversight committee members defended their higher estimates as a more realistic projection of costs.

"You should expect that 7 percent be used up in contingencies," said Susan Calderon, chairwoman of the oversight committee. "It's unfortunate that it came up this late, but it's only the beginning of phase two; it's not that late."

The council agreed to hold the budget at $14.5 million and asked city staff liaison Lorie Tinfow to return to the council when the contractors needed money over that amount.

"Nobody is willing to sign off on a $15 million project at this point," Mayor Nick Streit said.

The council was expected to take up the library budget again April 3.

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For more on the library, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/library%20expansion%20page.htm.

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