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Town Center and Library committee to invite consultant after review of phased $64,000 proposal
Summary
At its Sept. 11 meeting, Richmond’s Town Center and Library Building Committee reviewed Camel's Hump Design’s three-phase proposal (Phase 1 $10,500; Phase 2 $23,500; Phase 3 $30,000, total ~$64,000), agreed to invite the consultant to present, and agreed to seek Select Board authorization for an initial design phase.
On Sept. 11, 2024, the Richmond Town Center and Library Building Committee reviewed a three‑phase proposal from Camel's Hump Design and agreed to invite the firm to present at a future meeting to guide the committee through predesign and scoping work. The proposal quoted $10,500 for predesign/concept work, $23,500 for design development, and $30,000 for construction support — a total of about $64,000.
Committee chair (identified in the transcript as Chair) read the proposal aloud and summarized the package, saying the consultant “would be guiding us and we would be guiding him,” and that the first phase would provide the scope necessary to shape later work and justify a funding request to the Select Board. Members emphasized that the consultant presentation would precede any full RFP process and that the initial $10,500 phase could be used as a demonstration of approach before further commitment.
Members noted that the town previously paid for work by a different firm, Black River, and asked whether materials and studies already purchased could be reused to reduce cost. “I would hope that all of the materials that we have because we paid for them for Black River might be useful to Camel's Hump,” the chair said, urging the consultant to identify reusable work during an initial meeting. Several members expressed concern about public perception and taxpayer justification if the town solicits new designs after earlier spending.
The committee discussed administrative steps and thresholds for procurement. Members asked whether the town needs a formal RFP for work at this price point or whether staff authority could cover initial expenditures; a figure of roughly $15,000 was mentioned as a potential informal spending threshold for town staff to commit without Select Board approval. The committee agreed the next step is to schedule Camel's Hump to present and to use that presentation to shape a Select Board request if the committee decides to proceed with phase one.
Next steps: the committee asked staff to confirm consultant availability (members identified Sept. 25 as a possible meeting), to circulate the proposal text and its phase descriptions, and to gather advice on whether an RFP is required for the initial phase. The committee will use the consultant presentation to refine the scope and prepare a succinct justification for the Select Board if funding is sought.
