The vision of Adam’s Bike Park was presented to the Town Council by Michelle Caudill at their December 14, 2021 meeting.  Multiple meetings between Ms. Caudill and the Town Staff have served to refine the plans and estimated costs for the park.  This report provides updated cost estimates and proposes that the project becomes a Town Capital Improvement Project, which will provide cost savings for the equipment but will still allow for a collaborative approach to make the dream a reality.  Two alternatives for BA 22-030 are attached, which provides the Town Council an option to provide funding from the Parks & Recreation Reserves only, or a combination of Parks and Recreation and Water Reserves funding.   Staff recommends the Town Council approve of Adam’s Bike Park as a Town Capital Project and the associated Budget Amendment (choose one of the options provided). 

At the December 14, 2021 Town Council meeting, Michelle Caudill introduced the vision of Adam’s Bike Park to honor her son’s joy of biking.  Although the originally proposed site at Fireman’s Field was not approved due to conflicts with the Department of Historic Resources easement on that property, an alternate property was chosen.  The alternate property is owned by the Town, and is located just south of the elevated water storage tank.  This site is attractive due to its proximity to the W&OD Trail and Loudoun Valley High School.  The area is currently within the fenced area that encompasses the elevated water storage tank, and is approximately 0.65 acres.  Attachment 1 shows an aerial view of the site. 

Michelle has done a tremendous amount of work to raise funding as well as to coordinate with the bike park equipment supplier/installer (Progressive Bike Ramps, aka American Ramp Company, Inc.) for a design of the facility.  As Michelle presented information to the Town Staff, we saw that Progressive Bike Ramps was awarded a contract through Sourcewell, a cooperative public procurement organization.  Through this Contract, a 7% savings on the equipment and installation is realized. In addition, no sales tax is charged to the Town, another savings to stretch the limited funding available.  Further, another benefit of the Town procurement is that all warranties would be to the Town.   of which the Town is a member.  If the Town contracts with Progressive utilizing the Sourcewell contract, in lieu of Ms. Caudill contracting with Progressive directly, the project will cost approximately 12% less.  This is because the Sourcewell contract is priced 7% lower than the wholesale price given to Michelle directly, and Virginia’s 5.3% sales tax would be avoided.  With the limited funds available for the project, this 12% is a significant savings.    

There is one identified risk in utilizing the Sourcewell contract, and it is uncertain whether this risk may be mitigated by the Town through a contract amendment with Progressive:  the litigation venue and governing law.  The Sourcewell contract provides that Minnesota law governs the contract, and that the venue for all legal proceedings must occur in Minnesota.  The benefit of utilizing the Sourcewell contract is that the Town does not need to issue an Invitation to Bid for the Bike Park – the Sourcewell contract has been competitively procured and the Town is permitted by Virginia law to utilize the competitively procured contracts of other jurisdictions.  Staff estimates the risk of litigation to be low, but the Town Council must nonetheless, consider whether to accept the risk that, if litigation were to arise, the Town would have to obtain legal counsel licensed to practice in Minnesota and, if the matter were not settled, the Town would have to litigate in Minnesota court. 

The first phase of work would include the bike park installation, the site preparation work, the W&OD Trail connection and signage.  A draft bike park layout is included in Attachment 2.  Future phases may include an expansion of the area through the removal of the fencing (front, rear and south side), tree removal, security cameras, improvement of the pedestrian walkway along Maple Avenue and possibly widening the roadway to provide a few roadside parking spaces, and other recreational opportunities.  Please note that we are aware of the desire to remove the fencing.  However, the removal of the fencing has not been included in Phase 1 since the cost is estimated to exceed $20,000.  

The table below shows an itemized listing of the estimated costs for the first phase of the bike park:

Confirmed donations include funding raised by Michelle of $50,000 and a bike grant from Saris of $15,000. Anticipated additional funding includes a grant from Shimano ($15,000 or more estimated), and Discover Purcellville fundraiser ($15,000 estimated).  The total estimated funding through donations and grants is $95,000. 

In order to make the bike park a reality, Town Staff has prepared the attached budget amendments BA 22-030 (Attachments 3 & 4) to provide the funding needed for the site preparation, W&OD trail connection and signage.  The bike park will become a Capital Project, with funding by donations and grants as shown in the budget amendment.   Attachment 3 BA 22-030 shows funding from the Parks & Rec Fund only, while Attachment 4 shows funding from both Parks and Rec and the Water Fund Reserves ($10,000 for the fencing to separate the Water Tower site from the proposed bike park).  With these alternative Budget Amendments, Town Council may wish to transfer all funding from Parks and Rec reserves, or use a portion of the Water fund reserves (fencing) to separate the bike park from the water tower.    The difference between the anticipated costs and the donations and grants (as noted above) is $42,500. 

The bike park will require periodic maintenance, to include checking the equipment, leveling the paths, trash removal and landscaping.  Estimated costs for maintenance are $5,000/year.  MORE, a trail-building advocacy group, has offered their assistance to maintain the park. 

The Town Council may determine that this should not become a Town Capital Improvement project, and require Michelle to procure all elements of the bike park and give the completed bike park to the Town.  This would almost certainly delay the project and increase the cost of the equipment and other improvements.  

The total estimated cost for a bike park at the site south of the water tower is $137,500. Of that, potentially $95,000 will be through donations or grants.  If all of the funding opportunities are The Parks and Recreation fund will need to contribute $42,500 for the completion of Adam’s Bike Park.  It is important to consider that the future Purcellville Bike Park, as shown in the Town CIP budget, is estimated to cost more than $645,000. This initiative accelerates the construction of a bike park, and at a greatly reduced cost to the Town. 

“I move that the Town Council approve Budget Amendment BA 22-030 to appropriate $42,500 from Parks and Recreation Fund Reserves for the Bike Park in Fiscal Year 2022; with the understanding that any future funds raised by Michelle above the estimated $30,000 (Shimano grant and Discover Purcellville donation)  in grants (not restricted) and donations will go to subsidize public expenditures.”

OR

“I move that the Town Council approve Budget Amendment BA 22-030 to appropriate $32,500 from Parks and Recreation Fund Reserves and $10,000 from Water Fund Reserves for the Bike Park in Fiscal Year 2022; with the understanding that any future funds raised by Michelle above the estimated $30,000 (Shimano grant and Discover Purcellville donation)  in grants (not restricted) and donations will go to subsidize public expenditures.”

AND (added 4/11/22)

1. "I move that TC authorize the Town Manager to enter into contracts with American Ramp Company, Inc., and all other contracts needed to develop the Bike Park, in amounts that do not cause the total contracted expenses to exceed $68,851.21.”

2. “I move that Town Council accept the terms and conditions of the Saris Foundation grant, so that Michelle Caudill can accept the $15,000 grant and donate that amount to the Town for the development of the Adam Caudill Bike Park, understanding that the Town will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the Saris grant.”

3. “I move that Town Council accept from Michelle Caudill a cash donation in the amount of $65,000, to be used exclusively for the development of the Adam Caudill Bike Park, which donation may be made in one or more parts.”