Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 1608 |
| Work Detail | Multimillion-dollar requests for repairs at the sheriff’s Law Enforcement Complex and new storage buildings for the airport and Public Works were among the proposed capital projects reviewed by a county panel last week. The session was part of the work that leads up to the county executive’s release of the 2017 general budget and capital budget by Oct. 5. The review panel weighs capital project requests from department heads and mangers for the next year and then makes recommendations to County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. The county executive makes the final call on what projects to include in his proposed capital budget that goes to the Board of Legislators by Oct. 5. The 2017 capital project “wish list” totals $28 million. Planning Commissioner John R. Kent Jr. has recommended they all be approved, but notes that the project put in by Sheriff Robert M. Maciol might be done in phases. The committee of legislators and Picente administration officials typically scale back the requests to cut down on new borrowing. About $16 million in existing bonds will be paid off next year. ?The county is already committed to bonding for $4 million for two projects that were approved in this year’s capital budget with the understanding that not all of the money would be borrowed this year — half this year and the balance in 2017. On Aug. 24, the committee met with the Sheriff’s Office, Griffiss International Airport,the Public Works Department and Mohawk Valley Community. There will be at least one more session, on Wednesday. Other departments still to be heard from include Central Services. “Those recommendations may end up in the budget or not,” said Budget Director Thomas Keeler as he opened last Wednesday’s session. He is the panel chairman. Here’s a breakdown of the requests: Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Robert M. Maciol is seeking nearly $2.7 million to replace, repair, and upgrade infrastructure and equipment at the Law Enforcement Complex, including the jail, in Whitestown. The remaining exterior brick facade would be pointed up and new facing installed. It was noted several times during the discussion that the “new” jail is now 20-plus years old. “Some of the areas are in dire need of upgrading,” said the sheriff. “Some of it is in pretty sad shape.” A particular concern to Maciol is the system that electronically controls doors and gates in the correctional facility. There is no longer any hardware support for the system. “We’re out of luck,” he said should the current system fail. Maciol proposes to replace worn out laminate counter surfaces with stainless steel tops. “Many of the countertops are duct-taped down now,” he said. He distributed photographs to panel members to illustrate his points. There was some discussion about whether the work could be spread out over several years. Airport Aviation Commissioner Russell Stark and Deputy Commissioner Chad Lawrence reviewed their proposals to build a structure to store snow removal equipment and spend nearly $2 million on two vehicles that allow a single operator to plow and broom simultaneously. The building would be about 25,000 square feet and be located near the fire station, which serves as the airport’s operations center. Moving the snow equipment here would centralize aircraft rescue and firefighting, security and maintenance. Additionally, Stark said moving the equipment out of its current location — an aircraft hangar — would free up space that could generate lease revenue. While the building would cost nearly $3.3 million, the airport is seeking a Federal Aviation Administration grant to pay for the most of the construction and related work. The FAA typically pays 90 percent, leaving 10 percent to be split evenly between the state and county. Keeler noted that the project could be put in the capital with the condition that airport receive FAA funding. “We currently have no spares,” said Stark of his snow removal equipment inventory. “The equipment we have out there is pretty battered.” Lawrence said no new snow removal equipment has been purchased since the airport moved to Griffiss in 2007. The new vehicles would be additions to the fleet and not replacement units. Stark anticipates anticipates seeking approval for two more plows in future years. Public Works Deputy Commissioner Brian Scala discussed construction of an equipment storage building, and the annual funding requests for road paving, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, and equipment purchases. The new building, with a price tag estimated at $2.4 million, is needed because the county is losing access to the large aircraft hangar and offices at the former county airport. These facilities are being sold to the state and will no longer be available to Public Works to store seasonal equipment or any other county department. Public Works Commissioner Dennis S. Davis hopes the new structure can be located at the main DPW complex at Judd and Airport roads in Whitestown. Scala also discussed several yearly allocations: — County roads: $4.5 million — Bridges: $1.35 million. — Construction, maintenance and snow removal equipment: nearly $2 million. — Light duty equipment: $146,000. The panel still has to review other requests from the Public Works, including money for the rehabilitation of the parking areas under the County Office Building in Utica and the ongoing floor-by-floor asbestos abatement and renovations at the 10-story structure. MVCC Representatives of the community college reviewed a project that involves no county dollars. On the table is an $800,000 overhaul of the equipment that supports data, telephone and wireless infrastructure on the Utica campus. The college foundation would pay the half that is normally the county’s responsibility for a capital project with the state picking up the balance. A similar project was done in Rome as part of the major renovation and expansion of this campus that began in June 2015. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Construction Financial Services |
| Entry Date | 02 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://romesentinel.com/county/county-panel-reviews-capital-projects/QBqphA!LxJrDwwdXXLrXIxigO0uxA/ |
