Selectmen Discuss How to Proceed with Plans for New Public Works Facility

While acknowledging a plan for a new public works facility is not likely to go before voters again this year, selectmen agreed Wednesday to move forward with the idea and discussed ways to gain broader support.

On May 22, 2013, a proposal to bond up to $5.4 million for a facility at 325 Commerce Drive was defeated at referendum.

The Public Municipal Building Committee, the group charged with coming up with a plan for a new facility to replace the town’s aging one near the Farmington River, has met since then but felt it needs direction from selectmen.

Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner said the timeframe was really too tight to bring a plan to referendum in the fall.

There should, however, be time to hopefully have a plan approved — or at least potentially approved — before a second bond sale in Feb. 2015, he said.

The sale of municipal bonds is essentially the town’s way of borrowing money and paying back with interest over time. For recently approved roads, roofs and the high school track, field and parking lot projects, the town will sell bonds this August and in February 2015.

It would be preferable to get it done by the second date since each sale involves some $50,000 in fees, Skinner said.

The ideas discussed by selectmen Wednesday night to trim costs and better communicate with the public included a “peer review” to get a second opinion on assessments done by engineering Weston and Sampson as well as an idea to try and get bids on the project before it is approved.

Leading up to the recent referendum, some officials said the bids could come in lower, leaving the town some savings from the $5.4 million but many residents were skeptical of that idea.

Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner said getting some kind of bids ahead of time would be an unusual process with some potential complications but could perhaps be done.

First selectman Richard Barlow wondered aloud how well it would work.

“Absent there being any funding I question what the incentive is for a contractor to spend a lot of time on potentially what is a dry hole,” Barlow said.

Wednesday, several selectmen expressed confidence that the 325 Commerce Drive site was the right choice

“I certainly support the 325 Commerce Drive (site),” Barlow said. “I’m still convinced that is the best and most appropriate site if we’re going to do a highway garage. “

Selectman David Gilchrist, said he felt the town should move forward and purchase 325 Commerce Drive for the $225,000 option, have the Public Works Department do some of the site work, not install a new fueling station as planned and perhaps even build an inexpensive salt shed.

Those steps would result in the need to bond for less, he said.

“Going back to the town for $5 million is a waste of time,” he said.

Skinner said one potential problem was that the site work would take away from other projects.

“Doing that comes at a price,” Skinner said.

Selectman Lowell Humphrey said he understood Gilchrist’s perspective but felt citizens should vote on the “whole package.”

Selectmen made no formal decisions and all agreed it might be best to either have members of the Permanent Municipal Building Committee attend a Board of Selectmen’s meeting or schedule a joint meeting. 

Whatever the direction, selectmen acknowledged the town needs to present some of its information is a more friendly format. 

Selectmen Stephen Roberto said the town needs to better explain some common questions, such as why some properties were eliminated for the project, such as town-owned parcels at 51 River Road and 55 Lawton Road.

Barlow said he is encouraged that the need for a public works facility seems to be more accepted than it was when residents in early 2010 defeated at referendum at plan to purchase land for it at 5 Cherrybrook Road. 

"The one thing we seem to have unanimous support on now is we need a new highway garage," Barlow said. "I think that’s one step in the right direction."