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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Jeff McLaughlin, Neighborhood Redevelopment Manager
DATE: September 22, 2014
SUBJECT:
A Resolution Amending the Guidelines for the Single Family Residential Restoration Program to add Pre-Award Inspections and a 20% Award Contingency for Unforeseen Problems Found in the Permit Inspection Process.
PURPOSE:
Staff has run a successful round of the Single family Restoration Program ("Program"), but in two instances awarded projects encountered unforeseen problems (e.g., plumbing or electrical work that was not code compliant) found by City personnel in the building inspection process that added significant costs to the original project budget. Building code problems are not unusual in older homes that have not been updated to meet modern code standards. The City wants to encourage project completion under the Program. To assist in alleviating the additional cost burden of unforeseen code problems found in the building and permits process, Staff is requesting to amend the attached Guidelines for the Program to contain the following:
1. Mandatory pre-award inspection by City Building and Permits staff to identify potential problems with a soft award project so that project scope and/or budgets can be changed before a Program award if additional code items are found; and
2. A 20% contingency on an award amount to cover unforeseen items found by City inspectors in the building and permits process.
BACKGROUND:
Originally approved by the City Council as the Reconversion Incentive Program in 1994, the Program goal is to reconvert homes to their original single family status in order to reduce density and traffic congestion in neighborhoods. The program reauthorized in September of 2013 (R13-274) and has since had four successful applicants. A new competitive round will be introduced in October of this year.
DISCUSSION:
This program was very popular in its previous format, and addressed the probl...
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