Sandwich Police Station Build Contract
Harbour will be converting an empty existing building into a new station for the Sandwich Police Department. The 14,000 square foot building sits on a 2-acre site, Harbour will also build a new 3,000-square-foot building for prisoner booking and holding, evidence retention, and other uses on part of the additional 2-acre vacant land. Facilities will include male and female cells in the lockup area, lockers for officers, an exercise room, firing range, evidence room, and other areas needed by the department.
The Sandwich City Council learned at Monday night’s regular meeting that the cost of remodeling the Designed Stairs building into a Public Safety Center had risen to $3.844 million. The estimated cost was $3.5 million.
The Designed Stairs building is located at 1251 E. 6th St. The current police station is at 308 E. College St.
Vice-President of Construction for Harbour Contractors, Chris Kozak, told the Sandwich alderpersons that he has been working with city officials over the past month, and they have been able to cut $392,000 from the $3.844 million estimated cost, which is now $3.42 million.
The City of Sandwich originally borrowed $3.2 million instead of the approved $3.5 million. There was no explanation given why the full amount was not borrowed. Mayor Todd Latham said that it would be too costly to now go back and borrow the remaining $300,000.
There is supposed to be a $250,000 grant from State Representative Tom Demmer, which will be applied to the Public Safety Center.
Harbour’s Kozak wants the bids for the new police station approved by July 26, which is the date of the Sandwich City Council’s next regular meeting.
Alderperson Robinson wants a preliminary poll of the council at next week’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Robinson had this acrimonious exchange with Mayor Latham. Robinson speaks first.
The ordinance Mayor Latham refers to is changing the meeting schedule from four Mondays per month to two.
That ordinance change lost on Monday by a 5 to 3 vote, with Bill Littlebrandt, Brent Holcolmb, Cara Killey, Robinson and Ralph Whitecotton voting “no.” Voting yes to change the meeting schedule to twice a month were Bill Fritsch, Johnson and Kreinbrink. (Read more).