Sarasota News Leader

08/09/2013 & 08/16/2013

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Sarasota News Leader August 9 & 16, 2013 Page 40 The only deterrent to the city using them Carter replied to Hines on April 5, saying that might be cost he added. staff had completed an analysis of the cost of county staff handling the work compared to The city has 8-foot by 14-foot concrete pads the cost of contracting it out. Based on plans already in place at the two locations where it for installing about 20 bus shelters per year proposes to install the chickees as bus shelover the next three years, she wrote, the esters, he explained. Those sites are at the first timate was $9,500 per shelter. "This total inOld Bradenton Road bus stop just south of cludes staff resources, project management University Parkway — across from the Saracharges, central service charge, and survey sota Kennel Club track — and at 32nd Street. costs." A typical hard shelter like those used at SCAT Historical data showed the cost of outsourcstops costs about $5,000, Nichols pointed out. ing bus stop designs is about $10,000 per stop, Staff is working through the city's Procureshe added. "As that cost is very comparable ment Department, he continued, to get quotes to the in-house estimate, staff next evaluated on chickee models. "The design can vary," he whether or not the time associated with depointed out. "We just want shade. … We like sign could be shortened by designing in-house. the natural approach … [and] the community It was determined that the labor hours neceslikes it." sary to complete the design are comparable Because of the need to obtain quotes, he whether done in-house or by a consultant." pointed out, he has no guess about what cost Carter then pointed out, "SCAT and Public will be involved. However, he said, the city's design "is a fairly simple [one]," so he is hope- Works are discussing the development of a ful the price will come in lower than $5,000. If new solicitation encompassing the design, the price per chickee "gets to be much more construction, and installation of bus shelters expensive [than that], it's going to be hard to that could be used for multiple years. Staff anticipates that this approach will not only be justify," Nichols added. more cost effective, but more timely and efStill, he is maintaining a positive outlook on ficient, in addressing the overwhelming need the process. "It's going to happen." for bus shelters in Sarasota County." Nichols said he anticipated the chickees going up in late November or early December, in the latter stages of the Old Bradenton Road project. IN-HOUSE DESIGN Robinson — who was on vacation when contacted by the News Leader this week — said she "believed that we could save some time and money by taking care of [bus shelter design] in-house." Barbetta told the News Leader he would be In March and April, County Commission- eager to see the quotes the City of Sarasota ers Robinson and Charles Hines exchanged receives for chickee shelters. emails with Carter, the SCAT director, about the possibility of in-house design of standard "Our goal is to make them work," Nichols said. "We're going to do something that works." % bus shelters.

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