Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/93854
Sarasota News Leader November 16, 2012 and Recreation Department, and county Chief Engineer James K. Harriott Jr. says two sce- narios have been devised for the improve- ments: One would cost up to $26,693,000, in- cluding engineering and design work as well as staff time; the second would cost as much as $20,937,000. "There are additional things that different fo- cus groups and stakeholder groups have asked for," Maio told the commissioners, though he added that Kimley-Horn consultants are "not at a lot of those meetings." That was why the figures had escalated, Maio added. Harriott recently had told him, Maio con- tinued, that Parks and Recreation staff had asked for more fea- tures in the plan, for example. "It's just the laundry list of things that people are going to ask for." Page 18 The Oct. 2 letter, also from Smith to Sturm, says Kimley-Horn has authority "to continue with certain specific tasks and activities," in- cluding preparation and submittal of permit applications to the Florida Department of En- vironmental Protection, the Southwest Flor- ida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which would be needed for the project. However, the letter states that it "is not an au- thorization to proceed with 90% design plans under/or construction documents." I think when you're in this situation, communication could always have been better. James K. Harriott Jr. Chief Engineer Sarasota County That Oct. 2 letter adds, "Given the importance of this project to the community, its high visibility and great po- tential, it is essential that both the public and the County Com- mission have the op- portunity to observe and discuss the sta- tus of the project at critical junctures. … During the next few Still, Maio said, when he heard Harriott tell the board last week that the upper range of the project estimate was $27 million, "Quite frankly, I came out of my chair …." Barbetta pointed to copies of Public Works Department staff letters, dated Sept. 26 and Oct. 2, that said the project team had been asked to keep the work at the 60 percent de- sign level. The Sept. 26 letter from Project Manager Cur- tis Smith to Michael L. Sturm of Kimley-Horn says that directive was "Based on manage- ment direction …." weeks, staff will continue to develop and share information concerning the status of, and options for, the project's final design." Among the staff members copied on the letter were Harriott and Brown. During an interview with The Sarasota News Leader, at the open house on Nov. 13, Harriott said, "The letters are right." Without knowing what options the commis- sioners would like to pursue out of the vari- ous alternatives that have been proposed, he said, it was not possible to proceed to the 90 percent design level.