The City of Northfield has posted its RFP (request for proposals) for the design of the new fire and police stations.
In the ranking process grid on page 5:
Local connection: Those firms currently paying property tax within the City of Northfield will be given the full 5 points. Firms demonstrating some relationship to the community will be given 3 points.
I like the 5 point property tax item. But I wonder what will qualify as ‘some relationship’? for the 3-pointer? “Well, the first time I ever got drunk/stoned/laid/arrested was in Northfield so I’ve felt this special relationship to it ever since.”
Maybe “some relationship” will be the firm that has worked on the initial architectural schemes… Wold Architects… so maybe the 3-5 point advantage difference is not very important, in the total accumulated rating points.
No Griff….you don’t have it right—those are your relationships. A relationship for an architectural firm generally means that a local firm might cooperate with a an ‘outside’ firm. For example, Roseboom-Miller was the lead architect for the new Middle School, but they partnered with Professional Design Group (PDG) in Northfield. PDG did the structural work and a lot of on site observations, etc. The other firm did a lot of the architectural work.
The 5 points for local property taxes seems like a very good idea.
.-= (Ray Cox is a blogger. See a recent post titled Elevators and Library) =-.
5 Points -- towards a possible maximum of..100? 10,000?
All of the point values are listed on the attachment linked above.
Ray’s reading of the “relationship” understanding is correct. We anticipate a number of firms partnering to form a team approach to the design development. Those firms from outside of the Northfield City boundaries that choose local firms to partner with, will be recognized. In reference to Norman’s question, total points awarded in the initial review of the proposals submitted is 100.
Joel
Thanks for the clarification, Joel.
In today’s Nfld News:
Sigh. I can’t find it but evidently there’s a City press release circulating on the work group’s recommendation of KKE Architects:
Nfld News: Group recommends police, fire stations designer.
http://northfieldnews.com/news.php?viewStory=52212
KYMN news update:
http://kymnradio.net/2010/04/02/todays-news-update-topic-4/
Here’s the press release, emailed to me by Randy Jennings:
http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/PRESS-RELEASE-architect-selection.pdf
I don’t know why the City can’t post their own press releases to their own website so the rest of the world can access them.
It makes no sense that the citizenry can only read the regurgitated versions of a press release by the Nfld News and KYMN, both of whom should have attached the original press release in their stories.
Griff,
Press releases are sent to the press (clever name, huh? “press release”)to use that media to provide information to the public.
For the members of the public who want more detailed information, the council packet is readily available on the city’s website a few days before each council meeting. Access to the same background information the council will be responding to is easily available to all citizens. That’s the primary source, not a press release.
Randy,
A release can be a helpful summary on one topic or issue; many citizens aren’t likely to dig through the packet, so why not give it to them? Why insist that they have to rely on the local news media’s regurgitation of the press release? What if the media leaves out important portions or distorts the info?
See this page for Mpls Mayor RT Rybak’s releases:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/mayor/news/
Here’s the City of Red Wing’s:
http://www.red-wing.org/news.php?category=Press%20Releases
That seems helpful to me and a 2-minute task — literally — to add one to the pile.