Town looks to get police back to basement
Town Board members have approved a contract with Scott Dutton Associates to develop architectural plans that will allow the Police Department to return to the Town Hall basement.
The contract paying a maximum of $3,800 was authorized during a meeting last week, with Supervisor James Quigley saying the plans are being drafted based as a result of pressure during union contract negotiations.
“It’s become an issue at the negotiating table,” he said.
“We recognize that we need to provide adequate work facilities,” Quigley said. “But we also have to recognize the fact that the town has a financial situation to deal with. We’re not in a position to go borrow $5 million to $10 million to construct either a new police station or a new Town Hall. We need to find ways to accomplish what we want to do without busting the bank.”
Police in 2012 began using two trailers that were placed in the Town Hall parking lot after mold was identified in the Town Hall basement. Board members at the time approved spending $8,300 on two trailers for up to 90 days so the town Police Department had a place to work until mold remediation could be completed.
Town Board members in March 2016 were forced to replace one of the trailers, at $4,360, after a leak in the roof damaged a computer printer. Officials at the time said Mod Space had agreed to lower the monthly rental from $940 to $860.
Quigley said there is no longer a mold problem in the basement.
“(Dutton) will do a set of plans and specifications to go to bid and they will do an engineer’s budget ... so that when the bids come in we’ll know if they’re acceptable,” he said. “It would be for a renovation and possible replacement for the air conditioning system, which is 50 years old.”
Town Board members have also approved hiring Brinnier and Larios for professional services in replacing the Town Hall roof. Under the contract, the firm will be paid up to $5,500 for project inspections, $2,500 for contract administration, $1,000 for bid administration, and 8 percent of the construction bid amount for designs and bid documents.
Quigley said the town has budgeted up to $300,000 for the roof replacement.