Council member Gulick calls it 'a sanity check;' he wants 'third-party' review of consultant's numbers on rebuilding or building new

Council member Kris Gulick last night asked for an “independent, third-party” review of the financial evaluation made public this week that the City Council will use as it decides to renovate the city's key, flood-damaged buildings or build new ones.

Gulick, who made his request at last night's City Council meeting, said afterward it was no reflection on the work of the city's consultant, OPN Architects Inc. of Cedar Rapids.

“OPN may be right on target with everything,” Gulick, an accountant and business consultant, said. “But it's always good to have another set of eyes to take a look at something when it's this complex.”

OPN's analysis on City Hall showed that the cost to city taxpayers over 50 years to build a $50-million-plus City Hall would be about the same as the cost to renovate the longtime home of City Hall, the flood-damaged Veterans Memorial Building, even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency would pay most of the $35-million-plus renovation cost.

Gulick said a percent difference in the cost of money over 50 years could have a huge impact on cost comparisons.

Last night, he also called for a third-party committee to evaluate the costs facing the city for flood and other insurance. OPN's projections of the flood-insurance costs facing the Veterans Memorial Building hurt it in a cost comparison with a new City Hall.

Gulick said the idea for additional review was suggested by City Manager Jim Prosser on Monday after Prosser received a list of questions from Gulick.

Gulick said his council colleagues support the idea of a review. In fact, council member Tom Podzimek asked that the third-party review also look at subjective factors that also went into OPN's analysis.

Gulick called the third-party review “a sanity check.”