And you wonder why I have concerns about competency and process . . .
From: Olinger, Mark
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:14 AM
To: ALL ALDERS
Cc: Harmon, Ray; ‘Gregg Shimanski’
Subject: Release of Request for Qualifications: HOPE VI/CNI for Truax Park Apartments: Legislative File ID No.17496Good morning, All:
On February 16, 2010, we introduced at Council a Resolution (Legislative File ID No.17496) which authorizes the CDA to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to assist in the preparation of a HOPE VI/Choice Neighborhood Initiative application for the Truax Park/Wright Street Townhomes/Webb-Rethke Townhomes. The Resolution was referred to the CDA and the Board of Estimates. The CDA recommended approval at its meeting of 2/25/10. The Board of Estimates recommended approval at its meeting of 3/8/2010.
Unfortunately, the Resolution did not make it on the March 16, 2010, Council agenda. Since no action could be taken at the 3/16 meeting, this means waiting until the Council meeting of 4/13, four weeks out. Following this timeline the CDA will be considerably behind other communities who are presently soliciting responses to their HOPE VI/Choice Neighborhood Initiative RFPs/RFQs.
In order to maintain the process, I have spoken with the Mayor’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office to see if it would be possible to release a Request for Qualifications with a statement that “proceeding with this project and entering into any contract pursuant to this RFQ are contingent upon the approval of funding by the Madison Common Council.” In other words, no action would be taken on a contract until such time as the Council would adopt this Resolution.
The CDA’s goal has been to have someone under contract and working on the plan and application around May 1. Delaying release of the RFQ until after 4/13 makes those dates impossible to meet. We do not know when HUD will release the Notice of Funding Availability but the general sense is this spring.
With no advance knowledge of when the Notice might be released, and the tight submittal dates that have historically accompanied the release of the Notice, a delay of 4 weeks would greatly damage our chances for a grant in 2010.
While I would have liked to have released the RFQ on 3/17, we can move it back a few days and not significantly affect the project’s schedule. We would like to release the RFQ on Monday, March 22. Please let me know by Noon on Friday, March 19 if you have concerns over the release of the RFQ.
The Resolution is on the Council agenda for April 13.
Thank you.
Not a great start for this project . . . to read more about it, and what it means to Madison, go here. Next they’ll be saying, but you had a chance, you approved it . . . sound familiar?
