Public Safety Building Committee Discusses Ways to Stay on Track

The Public Safety Building Committee spent much of its meeting on Thursday discussing ideas about how the project could be adjusted to ensure that the construction bids come in at or under budget.

The wetlands permit has been approved and the Planning & Zoning Commission has approved the site plan, said Marcia Vlaun, the town planner.

The committee's discussions Thursday revolved around parts of the plan that could be altered, eliminated or put on hold, if need be, to minimize the construction costs.

For instance, requiring aluminum-framed windows only on the front of the building, and allowing wood-framed windows on the rest of the building could save some money, said David King, the vice president of Kaestle Boos, the architects for the project.

The plans call for the floor of the fitness room to be made of a kind of padded rubber. King said that if the project goes ahead with a tile floor, keeping the padded portion to the weight area only, that would save some money. A wall of mirrors that’s included in the plan could be cut to save money, or could be put in as an “alternate” option in the request for proposals.

Vlaun showed the group three estimates of costs.

The estimates are the town’s way of seeing just where the bids might come in. They are estimates only.

The very lowest estimated construction cost was $5.1 million, with a total estimated project cost of $6.1 million. The highest estimated construction cost – with every idea included – was $5.65 million. The estimated adjusted cost, the lowest cost, which involves taking out the “alternates,” was $5.3 million, for a total estimated cost of $6.474 million.

The bond that Montville voted to accept was $6.5 million.

Vlaun explained her tactics in creating the estimates. “If anything,” she said, “I’ve taken an uber conservative approach. I would rather have 32 root canals than go back through the referendum.”

The committee did agree to put the entire impound lot on the back burner as an alternate. This would cut nearly $100,000; the lot could be added at any time.

"From my perspective," Vlaun said, "the base bid with the alternates is the best way to go."  The committee can always agree to put some or all of the alternates back into the project, she said.

“Even though you have $6.5 million to spend,” Vlaun said, “it is the taxpayers' building," she said, adding that they didn't have to spend every cent.

The request for proposals for construction bids is scheduled to go out on April 26.