Commissioners Extravaganza

ST. MARY’S TODAY

LEONARDTOWN -- Not as impressive as Taj Mahal, in the words of commissioner president Tommy McKay (R. Hollywood) but the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for a “new meeting room” that would cost taxpayers nearly three-and-half million dollars.

The meeting room to be built over a 12-month period would cost taxpayers $3.45 m, which includes $2,644,000 for the “meeting room”, a second floor rough-in $551,287, and possibly furnishings 2,60,000.

Though called “new meeting room”, the building would primarily house spacious offices for the commissioners.

According to official documents, the first reason cited in justification for the expensive building is that it “Allows County staff the ability to occupy new space.”

Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills), buoyed over his unopposed re-election for four more years, was the most vocal proponent of the project Tuesday. “The new meeting room is necessary for conducting official business in an efficient way,” Raley, said, while conceding there could be a public outcry over the multimillion building.

Blazer Construction was the only firm to respond when the bids were invited and would become the contractors if they chose to sign the dotted line.

The commissioners have forwarded the argument constructing the building now, then postponing it for a latter day, was necessary to stay ahead of the construction cost game. The commissioners picked up the $3.45m project out of more than a dozen available options, though it was clear cheaper alternatives to save taxpayers’ monies were not considered.

Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R. Piney Point) did try to say the present building had a whole lot of history behind it, but seeing the mood of McKay and Raley simply gave the nod and seconded Raley’s motion. Commissioner Kenny Dement (R. Piney Point) also voted for the motion, while Tom Mattingly (D. Leonardtown) was on vacations.

Reached on phone, Mattingly said he supports construction of the new building. “For over five years now the prices continue to escalate. The new meeting room was in our capital program for a number of years so that we have reasonable space for public meetings and people could be part of the public hearing in stead of staying home and watching the process on television,” he said. “It is something that is needed.”

Mattingly said renovations that are much needed in the existing county building would become possible after the commissioners move to the new multimillion building.

He said prices of construction material have been skyrocketing all over the country since Hurricane Katrina and contended the postponing of the project now would end up in a bigger spending at a future date.

McKay argued the present aging building was not energy efficient, but that argument does not hold much water as it would be housing county offices even after the commissioners shift to their spacious offices in the new building.

George Erichsen, Director of Public Works and Transportation, on Tuesday informed the commissioners no building could be condemned just because of its age.

 Upon instruction of the commissioners, Erichsen drew up the blueprint, personally favoring a two-storey building. “A single floor building would have cost more than $330 per square foot, but if we build the second floor rough-in and even if we finish it, the cost comes to $229 per square ft,” he said.

The new building would meet the county needs efficiently for 15 years. Erichsen said future need assessment of government buildings do not go beyond that timeframe. “The population of the county may grow 10 percent every year, but the staff numbers do not grow by that percentage,” he said, adding the new 3.45 million building may fulfill county needs beyond 15 years.  

He recommended funding a 10 percent contingency plan, worth $260,000, for meeting room chairs and miscellaneous furniture, furniture replacement and minor interior work as may be required.

The new plan could be financially viable if the Soil Conservation District decides to move there. Bruce Young, SCD manager, was on vacations. A staff member at the SCD said, “There was some discussions on it but I am not at liberty to give out the details.”

Erichsen’s memorandum said Young was interested in relocating because of the sheer lack of parking space at the present SCD office.

“The new meeting room would stand between the Garvey Senior Center and Leonard Hall School,” Erichsen told ST. MARY’S TODAY. “It will have a very nice structure.”