Receive and review the Request for Proposals for Architectural Services for the Harrison Memorial Library and direct staff to:

1. Include any further amendments
2. Release the Request for Proposals

The Ad Hoc Committee for the Library Master Plan is made up of President John Krisher and Trustee Phil Pardue. As representatives of the Board of Trustees, the Ad Hoc Committee remains committed to ensuring that library services are continuous and facilities are well-maintained during the renovation planning process and during potential renovation.

As such the Board of Trustees adopted the following guiding principles proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee to be taking into account when the Trustees are evaluating building options and/or making recommendations to Council: 

1. Well maintained facilities that meet the patrons needs
2. Maximize service hours
3. No negative impact to the workforce (Library Staff) 
4. No extra cost to the City residents
5. Minimal disruption to services. 

2024 PROJECT TIMELINE TO-DATE

• February 28, 2024:  Ad Hoc Committee requested a presentation from a Public Works representative on the current maintenance requirements for both library branches and their criticality. 
• March 5, 2024: City Council received a presentation on the proposed FY 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Plan projects, which included the carryover of the Library Facilities Master Plan Phases II-IV and requested an update and presentation on Phase I Library Facilities Master Plan.
• March 20, 2024: At a special Library Board meeting the Library Director and the Public Works Director presented on both the current maintenance requirements for the facilities and a high-level overview of the Master Plan Phase I report.
• April 2, 2024: At the regular City Council meeting the Library Director and the Public Works Director provided a presentation to the City Council and Council provided staff with direction to solicit community input to inform a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Architect Services for the renovation of the Harrison Memorial Library. 
• May 16: The first of two workshops to solicit community input to inform the drafting of an RFP was canceled due to lack of public participation.  
• May 23: The second of two workshops to solicit community input to inform the drafting of an RFP was attended by 7 members of the public in addition to representatives from the Board of Trustees and the Carmel Public Library Foundation Board.

One of the biggest themes of the workshop was that attendees did not want the library to change; library users like its cozy traditional library atmosphere with books and comfy seating, the variety of programs, and the hub-role that the library plays for the community. Further, staff has had a survey regarding library services open to the public (both digital and print) for the better part of this year and those survey results are in alignment with what was shared at the workshop. *Note and unrelated - At both the workshop and in the survey results the public was very clear about restoring Saturday hours which staff are working on. 

At a special meeting on June 19 the Trustees reviewed the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Architect Services, provided staff with direction for edits as follows:

1. Amend the last sentence of the second paragraph of Section "II. General Introduction and Project Description" from "validate or amend" to "validate, amend, or replace"; and replace that language where it appears throughout the RFP as it relates to the Master Plan Phase I. 
2. Add language to the last paragraph of Section "III. City of Carmel and the Library" to highlight the importance of exploring opportunities for innovative design to support efficient and imaginative library services, alongside historic preservation, critical infrastructure upgrades,  and gentle, community supported change. 
3. Require that the Proposer include methodology and cost estimates for a phased approach to this project, in addition to the traditional cost proposal for comparison and evaluation. 

Working through the development of the RFP staff originally identified three factors that need to be in balance in order for this project to be successful: 

1. Community input and support of the project
2. Historic preservation needs of a public building
3. Critical infrastructure upgrades, such as seismic, electric, plumbing, ADA improvements, etc. 

Based upon the input from the Trustees, staff would also include the language of #2 above regarding library innovation, as a 4th factor. These factors are discussed in section III of the RFP and serve as a theme throughout. The Architectural Firms that respond to this RFP and the firm that is ultimately awarded the contract will need to demonstrate that they are adept and experienced at balancing historic preservation needs, critical infrastructure upgrades, and innovation while ensuring that necessary changes happen gently and thoughtfully to balance infrastructure needs with community expectations. 

With the aforementioned amendments, the Trustees recommend that the RFP be remanded to the City Council for final review approval and that the City Council approve the RFP for release.