(5/2024) Vote on Approving New Town Hall Set For May 2
Burgess Heath Barnes told the Town Council that he has been notified by the selected architect and builder of the new Town Hall that they are finalizing the cost estimate and will be ready to present to the Town at the end of April.
Barnes suggested that the Council meet on Thursday May 2nd, as opposed to its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 14th, to fast track the approval of the final design for the Town Hall and its cost.
The Council’s approval will allow the contractor to get a two-week jump-start on acquiring all of the necessary County permits to start actual construction.
When beginning the process several years back to build its first Town Hall, the Town was prepared to spend $800,000. That estimate, however, was blown out of the water when the bids came in, the lowest bid being $1.6 million. As a result, Barnes and the Council have been actively reevaluating what amenities are needed to create the type of Town Hall they envisioned while reducing the price tag down to a level that the Town can afford.
Barnes noted that the builder and architect had recommended several changes to the original design that were major cost savings that will help get the total down to its $1.1 million goal.
Town To Interview New Street Sweeper
Commissioner Cutshall informed fellow Council members that he has scheduled an interview with a street sweeping company to discuss performing that task for the Town going forward.
The interview comes on the heels of the revelation at last month’s meeting that the street sweeping service that the Town had contracted with in 2021 had stopped coming last spring, with no prior notification to the Town or reason given.
Cutshall said that he will be asking for a price quote to have the streets swept at least every three months.
Barnes asked Cutshall to request an estimate by the end of April so that the Town can build it into its FY-25 budget.
The Town’s now AWOL street sweeper had given the Town an estimate for $1,440 to $1,920 per sweep. As the sweeper will be rented by the Town by the hour, the difference in final cost per sweep will be based upon the condition of the streets at the time. Using the estimate provided, the Town had budgeted for between $4,500 and $6,000 for three sweeps.
Arnold Place Development Moving Forward
The nine-unit townhouse development slated for the corner of Arnold Alley and North Second Street took another step forward with the Council’s approval of the establishment of an $74,394 escrow account to cover anticipated infrastructure improvements such as new sidewalks, paving and water and sewer hookups. The money will be held by the Town and returned to the builder as each task is completed.
The Town however, will receive over $100,000 in water and sewer tap fees for the new development, "money much needed for the Town’s water and sewer systems," said Commissioner Bill Rettlemeyer.
Read other news articles on Woodsboro
