Library Board Decides on Expansion Contractor

— by Margie Doyle —

Sketch of Library from Rose Street, looking south with expansion to the north and west of current building

The Orcas Island Public LIbrary Board of Trustees approved a Letter of Intent to contract with HB Hansen Construction of Lynden to build the library expansion. HB Hansen  submitted bid of $2,923,000, which was opened on Friday, May 13.

State law requires public entities accept the “lowest responsible” bid.

Two other bids came in:

• Tiger Construction of Everson, at $3,109,000;
• White Construction of Orcas Island at $4,028,378.

Those bids didn’t include alternate bid amounts for:

• Rose Street Improvements;
• Stairs to the Library Park on Prune Alley;
• South Vestibule;
• and Acoustics in Existing Meeting Room.

The Library Board decided to defer a decision on the alternate construction elements.

HB Hansen’s bid noted that it would engage Morris Plumbing as sub-contractor.

The Library Board had engaged a professional estimator who valued the cost of the project at $2,450,000. By telephone, Project Manager Liz LeRoy expressed her confidence in HB Hansen, who had discussed the expansion with her in the process of submitting their bid.

After a discussion where board members agreed that with the rising costs of inflation (now at 5-10 per cent per year); the “relatively modest shortfall;” what would be a time-consuming and expensive restructuring of the plan, involving design and permit changes; and the scope and functionality of the current plan; the board agreed to the following motion:

“to approve a Letter of Intent to award HB Hansen Construction a contract for the library expansion, with the scope of work which would then come back to the board for approval.”

The award specifies that the project is to be completed by June 30, 2017, with “substantial “completion of the project on May 12, 2017. Library

The Library now has $3,450,000 earmarked for the project, which includes $1.4M secured from the state with the efforts of Senator Kevin Ranker, and an additional $1.4M gifted to the library by the estate of Robert Henigson. That leaves the library at 84 per cent of the needed funding, with $650,000 still to be be raised.

Following the vote, the Board discussed possible sources of the needed funding, which included:

• Friends of the Library funds,
• Donors,
• Grants,
• Levy,
• Public campaign,
• Loan

The board then agreed to pursue the different funding alternatives and report on them at the next board meeting.

The Library plans a Ground-Breaking Celebration on July 16.

Library Board Chair Margaret Payne said, “The library expansion project has been an organic process, driven by our needs and requirements. We have been transparent and involved the community in every decision.” She noted that the scope and function of every element had be considered to provide “what the community needs.”

Library Director Phil Heikkinen said, “It’s nice to know what the number is going forward. We know we have some work ahead of us.”

Payne asked for, and received, full assent from each board member to personally recommit to the level of effort needed to see the expansion through: Alex Conrad, Tom Fiscus, Martha Fuller, Regina Zwilling, with Conrad adding, “Let the Summer of Library Love Begin!”