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Council approves $1.55M CMAR preconstruction contract for Hornville Branch Library after debate over procurement method
Summary
The council approved a construction-manager-at-risk preconstruction agreement for the Hornville Branch Library, $1,550,000, with one recorded no vote. Council discussion focused on whether CMAR is appropriate for a library building and potential impacts on parish staff resources.
The St. Charles Parish Council voted to authorize a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) preconstruction services agreement with Woodward Design and Build LLC for the Hornville Branch Library on June 2. The contract amount for preconstruction services and early work is $1,550,000; the motion passed with one dissenting vote.
Mister Palamon, presenting the project, said the parish selected an architect last year and is at roughly 30% design, the threshold the parish uses to move to the CMAR process. He said the $1,550,000 figure includes a $50,000 basic CMAR fee and funds for preconstruction activities such as site surcharging and early material orders. He also said the library system pays the fees and that parish engineering will oversee the design.
Councilman Pillier raised objections to using CMAR for what he described as a building project rather than a complex infrastructure project, and questioned whether parish engineering resources should be allocated to a library while other critical infrastructure projects are underway. He said he viewed the Hornville library as less complex than projects that previously used CMAR, such as pump stations, and expressed concern about diverting staff capacity.
Parish President Jewell and other supporters said libraries have specific design complexities and that many jurisdictions use CMAR for building projects where schedule and specialized design coordination are important. Palamon and other staff noted that using CMAR gives the parish an option to secure a guaranteed maximum price; if the parties cannot agree on price the project could revert to a traditional bid-build approach.
The council voted on File 2025-0149 following public hearing and discussion; the record shows the measure passed with Councilman Pilier voting no. Council members asked staff to continue oversight during design and to report on cost comparisons at appropriate milestones.
