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Date: 1/28/2016
WILBRAHAM – With a major decision made at the Jan. 25 Board of Selectmen meeting, the police station building project is one step closer to gaining full momentum.
The selectmen agreed to award the general contractor bid to WJ Mountford Co. based on a recommendation by Roger Fontaine on behalf of the Police Station Building Committee, which unanimously made its decision earlier in the day.
“We are absolutely pleased, relieved, excited,” Fontaine said.
With the final contracts expected to be signed within a matter of weeks, the project remains on schedule and the 12-month building process could begin shortly, he later told reporters.
“If the ground’s not frozen, they could start doing some stuff immediately,” he said.
WJ Mountford’s bid of $5.3 million was the lowest for the 16 interested parties, according to the bid list acquired by Reminder Publications. Bids were opened on Dec. 13.
The original estimate for the project was $8 million, including a $4.2 million debt exclusion, which was approved by residents at the May 11, 2015 Town Meeting and the May 16 Annual Town Election.
Fontaine said between the actual construction costs and other costs, including designs, acquisition of the land at 2780 Boston Road and the clearing of said land, the new building was projected to come in under budget.
“The bottom line is on the construction cost we are $400,000 favorable for the budget,” he said.
Fontaine and Police Chief Roger Tucker explained in order to ensure the project would be performed within budget parameters, some of the features in the orginal plans – a carport for police vehicles, one of the two sallyports, and external esthetics upgrades such as siding – were designated as alternates. However, WJ Mountford’s bid was low enough to include all three.
When queried about changes to the project, Fontaine stressed, “The station will look exactly as it was presented at Town Meeting.”
Selectman Susan Bunnell asked if there was a reduction in square footage, but Fontaine explained the square footage reduction took place before the Town Meeting as the Police Station Building Committee attempted to reduce costs to the $8 million figure.
Board of Selectmen Chair Robert Boilard said he was approached by a resident who said there were $600,000 in changes to the project and asked for clarification.
Fontaine said that was a misrepresentation of the process and explained the $600,000 were shifts to internal systems such as electrical and climate control.
“Value engineering, if you will,” he said.
Tucker added that some of the initial estimates on these systems proved to be much higher than the amounts listed in the bids.
The process was not without a small complication.
A subcontractor vying for electrical work filed a protest against the subcontractor that was originally included in WJ Mountford’s bid, claiming it was not truthful in the process. The Attorney General’s office agreed with the protestor’s assertion that the original electrical subcontractor misrepresented itself as a company that would provide labor, when in fact it would only provide materials. As a result, the protesting subcontractor was awarded the contract and the project can move forward.
Fontaine said the switch represented a budgetary change of “only a couple thousand dollars.”
Other bids included: RAC Builders of Agawam, $5.4 million; Five Star Building Corp. of Easthampton, $5.6 million; PDS Engineering & Construction of Bloomfield, CT, $5.5 million); Enfield Builders of Enfield, CT, $5.5 million; Hutter Construction Corp. of New Ipswich, NH, $5.6 million; Forish Construction of Westfield, $5.6 million; Allegrone Companies of Pittsfield, $5.8 million; B.W. Construction of Spencer, $5.8 million; Lupachino Salvatore Inc. of Blomfield, CT, $5.8 million; Aquadro & Cerruti of Northampton, $5.9 million; P&P General Contractors of Dudley, $5.9 million; D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. of Northampton, $5.9 million; Marois Construction Co. of South Hadley, $6 million; Mill City Construction of Lincoln, RI, $6.2 million); and N.L. Construction of Ludlow, $6.3 million.
Also at the meeting, Town Administrator Nick Breault and Assistant Town Administrator for Budget & Finance Thomas Sullivan presented their fiscal year 2017 (FY17) budget proposal of $39.6 million.
The proposal represents an increase of nearly $1 million, or 2.5 percent, over the FY16 budget.
Selectman Robert Russell commented that he hoped citizens realized the majority of the increases in the budget were due to salary increases or state mandates.
“This is what we’re dealing with and this is the result,” he said.
It would also leave the town slightly less than $175,000 below the levy limit. Breault noted additional requests from departments not included in the budget would equal $172,000 if every single one were granted. Sullivan talked of the obvious concern of spending to the levy limit and advised against it.
Wilbraham’s assessment for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District was estimated at $24 million.
The town’s total revenue and available funds, including taxes, state funding and local receipts is $45.1 million. Breault said he and Sullivan set aside $975,000 in free cash expenditures that could be approved at Town Meeting.
In other business, the selectmen approved increases in the price of bags and second car stickers for the Disposal and Recycling Center, at the suggestion of Department of Public Works Director Edward Miga.
Miga proposed a 25 cent hike in the price of 30-gallon bags, up to $2.50, starting Feb. 1.
“I want to stress the fact that this is the first time in 10 years we are raising the rates on solid waste,” he said, explaining the town accountant identified a $17,000 budget shortfall that was brought to his attention and his own investigation into the matter yielded a $15,000 budget gap. He also said the cost of equipment was extremely high, citing the town’s need for a new loader, which is included in his department’s FY17 budget.
The fee for a second vehicle sticker will jump from $10 to $20, which Miga said could create an extra $4,000 in revenue alone.
“It’s a luxury to have a second car sticker,” he added.
Boilard, while agreeing to approve the change, charged Miga with identifying new ways to prevent such issues in the future.
Admitting it was a “necessary gap filler,” he said, “Once prices start going up, you start losing more. If we remain status quo and don’t offer more to residents, this is a conversation we are going to be having for years to come.”