ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 5, 2002
Author/Local: Ray Stensrud/7437

RTS No. 2822

CC File No. 5127

Council: July 23, 2002

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Non-Market Operations
SUBJECT:	Award of Consultant Services Contract for Redevelopment of the First Area ( First Neighbourhood) of Mountain View Cemetery

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT a Consulting Contract to develop the design, capital budget and financial plan for the first area (First Neighbourhood) within Mountain View Cemetery be awarded to E. Lees and Associates Consulting Ltd. at a cost of $61,800; source of funding to be the $1.0 million line of credit approved by Council to support the redevelopment of the cemetery.

B. THAT the Director of Non-Market Operations be authorized to enter into a Consulting Contract in a form satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and B.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council must approve awards of consulting contracts over $30,000.

Contracts are awarded on the bases of best value for fee.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council's approval to award a contract to begin the implementation of the Mountain View Cemetery Master Plan to E. Lees and Associates Consulting Ltd. Lees and Associates would identify the first area of the cemetery and projects (new memorialization options, architectural and landscape enhancements) to be developed, and develop the detailed design, capital budgets and financial plan for report back to Council prior to the commencement of the actual construction.

BACKGROUND

On March 7, 2000, Council approved the Mountain View Cemetery Master Plan and Implementation Policy Report. The Master Plan proposed substantial redevelopment of the 106 acre Cemetery over a 20 year period. It estimated that the capacity of the Cemetery, which currently contains approximately 92,000 grave sites with 145,000 interred remains, could be doubled with the addition of columbaria, mausoleums, niche walls, and other memorialization options. In-ground burial capacity could also be increased through a more efficient road network and better use of service areas. It was proposed that the Cemetery be redeveloped as a cluster of distinct but linked neighbourhoods. Projects developed over the 20 year period would provide the citizens of Vancouver with memorialization opportunities within the City and would preserve and enhance the Cemetery's heritage and open space value to the City of Vancouver.

An associated financial report indicated that the Cemetery could become self sustaining within a decade of the start of the redevelopment through the marketing of new memorializations and that a perpetual care fund of $20-25 million could be generated over 20 years. Council authorized the Director of Finance to establish of a $1.0 million revolving "line of credit" on an interim basis to facilitate the initial construction of capital projects.

DISCUSSION

The cemetery business has changed dramatically over the two years since the Master Plan was approved. As a result, it is proposed that the first phase of the work will enable the City to assess the financial projections presented in the Master Plan. The results of the first phase of the project will be reported to Council, and the second phase of the project, the actual construction of the memorialization options and infrastructure, will be subject to Council approval. Only approval of the first phase of the consultant's work is sought now.

A Request for Proposals from consultants to begin the implementation of the Master Plan was issued in the fall of 2001. A copy of the RFP is on file with the City Clerk's Office. Four proposals were received.

The RFP identified two phases to the project. The purpose of the first phase is to:

· undertake a review of the viability of financial plan included in the Master Plan Study,
· identify the first neighbourhood (area) of Mountain View Cemetery to be redeveloped, the mix of memorialization options to be provided and the initial infrastructure projects to be undertaken,
· provide complete costing of all proposed projects and their impact on the cash flow.

Criteria for selecting the consultant included cost of the proposal, the experience of the consultant team, the capacity of the team to undertake both design and economic analysis, and the team's understanding of the City's objectives for Mountain View Cemetery. All proponents were interviewed and a detailed evaluation of the proposals undertaken.

Based on the criteria and evaluation, it is recommended that the proposal submitted by E. Lees and Associates Consulting Ltd. be approved. Erik Lees is a local cemetarian with experience in the operations and redevelopment of cemeteries, and he will be the project manager for the work. His team includes landscape architects with experience in all aspects of landscape development, including construction of infrastructure. The team also includes a quantity surveyor, heritage consultant, and a market consultant.

The total cost of the first phase of the project is $61,800. This total cost includes fixed consulting fees of $56,000 plus GST in the amount of $3,900 and estimated disbursement costs of $1,900. The first phase work would commence in August for report back to Council in early 2003.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver