City inks $533,000 contract is library architect

The project to transform about half the Scotts Valley Skate Center into a new library has taken another step forward.

[themountainboy]

"For nearly 20 years, the RDA has been saving money to build a new library, based on an agreement the city had with the county."
The reporter failed to explain what RDA stands for. I believe it is customary, when using an acronym or initials, to first print out the full name or phrase and THEN start using the shortened version. I still don't know what the RDA stands for. Somebody school me.

[RDA]

themountainboy wrote:

"For nearly 20 years, the RDA has been saving money to build a new library, based on an agreement the city had with the county."
The reporter failed to explain what RDA stands for. I believe it is customary, when using an acronym or initials, to first print out the full name or phrase and THEN start using the shortened version. I still don't know what the RDA stands for. Somebody school me.

Re Development Agency

[jojo]

Headline: City inks $533,000 contract is library architect

Nice "punch" to this one :) Exactly what does it mean?

The article is not bad IMHO(who, what, when, where, why are answered) other than failure to spell out the meaning of RDA, as mentioned.

By the time the citizen copy editors get through with our usual exercise of submitting enlightening posts we might get the basis for an article that a professional newspaper(not that there are many left) would publish.

[themountainboy]

My bad. I didn't know Re was a word. Thanks

[Rosie]

How is it that Scotts Valley, Capitola & Felton are pushing for new & expanded libraries when our current one are in such dire financial straits?

Seems like asking asking your boss for a raise when the company is contemplating lay-offs. Sure Scotts Valley is pooling money for the building & hoping the Joint Libaries will maintain it, but is that realistic when all the current libraries, with the exception of Scotts Valley & downtown, are cutting hours & staff?

I guess since Scotts Valley has a vice mayor on the Library Board too, so they can make it happen despite everyone else in the county losing their town's library. Go figure! Sad mentality to take care of your own little community & let everyone else suffer the loss.

[themountainboy]

Half a million for an architect. And the building's already there.

[and further more]

Aren't there any architects/architect firms in Santa Cruz County who can do this type of work? Think local and all that.

[Mountain Cat]

Rosie wrote:

How is it that Scotts Valley, Capitola & Felton are pushing for new & expanded libraries when our current one are in such dire financial straits?
Seems like asking asking your boss for a raise when the company is contemplating lay-offs. Sure Scotts Valley is pooling money for the building & hoping the Joint Libaries will maintain it, but is that realistic when all the current libraries, with the exception of Scotts Valley & downtown, are cutting hours & staff?

I guess since Scotts Valley has a vice mayor on the Library Board too, so they can make it happen despite everyone else in the county losing their town's library. Go figure! Sad mentality to take care of your own little community & let everyone else suffer the loss.

SV and Capitola are using RDA funds; not funds from the Library system. Both Branches are heavily used and over-crowded. Neither Branch will receive additional staff or hours.

[Tanya]

Wow a new library when their schools look like crap. What a bunch of idiots.

[ohreally]

and further more wrote:

Aren't there any architects/architect firms in Santa Cruz County who can do this type of work? Think local and all that.

My thoughts exactly. And at half a million, how much per hour per person involved in the actual creation of plans does that translate to? Sheesh!

[jack ball]

No, there must be an extra zero in there. That would mean the project will cost upwards of five million dollars. Something is wrong here. And exactly what does "contract is library architect" mean?

[lame]

Nice job city council..Way to blow 5 million after you furlow your employees on Friday.

[Scotts Valley SWAT Team]

While it is great to be getting a new library, the City Council seems way out of control with the spending:

$4,500,000 to buy the building
$6,700,000 cost to remodel only 13,000 sq feet of the building
$ 533,000 Architect fee for just 13,000 sq feet of building
$5,500,000 Interest payable on the bonds the City will issue to cover the full cost.
----------
$17,200,000 for a 13,000 sq foot library.

[The money]

Mayor Randy Johnson "could't be happier". Isn't that special. It must be loads of fun spending all that tax payer money.

[SV Mom]

themountainboy wrote:

"For nearly 20 years, the RDA has been saving money to build a new library, based on an agreement the city had with the county."
The reporter failed to explain what RDA stands for. I believe it is customary, when using an acronym or initials, to first print out the full name or phrase and THEN start using the shortened version. I still don't know what the RDA stands for. Somebody school me.

ReDevelopment Agency

[tell me its not true]

Scotts Valley SWAT Team wrote:

While it is great to be getting a new library, the City Council seems way out of control with the spending:
$4,500,000 to buy the building
$6,700,000 cost to remodel only 13,000 sq feet of the building
$ 533,000 Architect fee for just 13,000 sq feet of building
$5,500,000 Interest payable on the bonds the City will issue to cover the full cost.
----------
$17,200,000 for a 13,000 sq foot library.

This cannot be accurate. Please tell me this is not really what it will cost. If it is- How absurd.

[Scotts Valley SWAT Team]

tell me its not true wrote:

<quoted text>
This cannot be accurate. Please tell me this is not really what it will cost. If it is- How absurd.

I am sorry to tell you that the numbers are correct. This library is projected by the City to cost a little over $17 million dollars. All of these numbers are repeated in the above article with the exception of the interest on the bonds that the City needs to issue. The RDA funds cover only a small portion of the total amount. The number that is used above for the interest on the bonds that the City needs to sell came from Steve Ando at the City Council meeting when the numbers were reviewed after the Sports Center had already been purchased. Funny how the City only really talked about the purchase price of the building and down played the other expenses. The spending by our City Council is out of control.

[Scotts Valley SWAT Team]

Assuming that the City doesn't exceed their forecast for the cost of the finished library, each sq foot will cost the tax payers $1,307.98.

That doesn't even include the cost to fill the library with all the extra books. I'm glad we will have a new library but couldn't we have gone for one a little less costly?$1,307.98 per sq foot - yikes!

$17,200,000/13,150 sq feet =$1,307.98 per sq foot

[Future is knowledge]

as a business owner in Scotts Valley, I will pay for 1 sq2. Randy, expect my check.

[Hiram]

Scotts Valley SWAT Team wrote:

$17,200,000 for a 13,000 sq foot library.

And there's no pool in Scotts Valley worth swimming in. Ridiculous. Most folks in this town have the money to BUY books, but it's a waste of resources for every family to put in a 25 yard lap pool so their kids can swim and not end up obese or, worse, playing tennis.

Way to go! Let's see. You help SVUSD build a high school that doesn't work. You rammed the Glenwood development down our throats even though we voted it down. You're trying to stuff homes into the Polo Grounds. You built a skate park that KILLED someone!!! You keep trying on the silly pseudo-downtown (if we wanted Pacific Ave. or downtown LG, we'd live there!)

And now you've taken away an important recreational venue so you can move a library that did not need to be moved. But now you won't help out with passports. Genius.

Hey, can you fix healthcare, too?