Special Town Meeting w/ Emergency Services Facility Update
Address
Click the link below to view the Special Town Meeting Warrant
In October of 2022 the Emergency Services Building Committee began working with an Owners Project Manager (OPM) and designer/architect on the design of a new building to house all three of our emergency services departments who are in inadequate facilities. As of October, the original (very preliminary) estimates were that this project could cost as much as $17,931,300.00. After a lot of hard work to reduce the size and with the use of more in depth cost estimating (prior to actual bidding) that cost was reduced to $14,456,000.00 – for a TOTAL project cost. However, due to the conservative and forward thinking work of your Town Finance Committee, over $1 million dollars was put away to use toward this project. Some of those funds have been used to pay for the engineering and design work to-date, and the plan is to use additional existing funds for this project if approved on April 19th. Existing funds that have been spent to date reduce the borrowing costs for this project.
Then, on Wednesday, April 12 bids were due for General Contractors proposing to build the new Emergency Services Building in Northfield. The Town’s consultants reviewed and confirmed that the bids were accurate and the bidders eligible and their responses complete. On Thursday, April 13, the Emergency Services Building Committee met with the Town’s project manager and consultants to review and discuss the bids. The two bids deemed eligible and responsive both came in below the existing construction estimate of $11,719,300.
The Committee accepted two alternates. One for a cupola as preferred by those attending past presentations, and a second for a carport to protect Police Department vehicles. Adding those two, the Committee ultimately voted to recommend a total bid award of $11,322,500, still almost $400,000 ($396,800) below the estimate we have been using. The Committee rejected alternates 3 and 4 which would have totaled an additional $104,500. The project also eliminated the construction of a radio tower by incorporating four antennas on the new roof. This also reduced the original estimate by over $100,000.
Now that final pricing is in, a reasonable contingency has been added for the purpose of ensuring there is enough money in the project budget in case something unexpected should arise. The contingency will not be expended or borrowed if not needed to construct the project as now envisioned and bid. The original estimated cost of the project before bidding at $14,565,000 has been reduced by approximately $1 million dollars through the reduction in general construction, contingency, reduction in the radio tower and with lower than expected bid prices.
Since the Fall of 2022 there has been design and value engineering savings of $3,475,300.00. These reductions along with the use of existing funding means that the request for financing at the Special Town Meeting on the 19th is expected to be $13,500,000.
Work is currently being done on incorporating this more detailed financial information into estimates and projections for more in depth analysis and effect on future tax bills/rates. In the next few days additional information will continue to be posted on the Town’s website. All of this information will be presented in person at the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at 6:30 in the Pioneer Valley Regional School auditorium. This meeting will afford an opportunity for residents to engage in further discussion and ask additional questions.
