The estimated cost of remodeling the old armory building into the Hamilton Justice Center facility has crept upwards to the point that the City Council had to pass a budget amendment to cover the base price of the building now estimated at $2,522,284. When all the options for improvements have been settled on, the final cost may go up to about $2,675,000.
Originally estimated at around $2.5 million, the cost went up as options were added to the project in what Special Projects Director Dennis Stranger said was an ongoing project with a lot of moving parts. He said some additional options have been added to the project and some have been excluded.
Stranger said that some of the cost increases include $57,000 for adding special acoustic treatment to the new courtroom, $50,000 to repave the existing parking lot, $30,000 for a fire suppression system in the evidence locker room, and another $20,000 for pass through evidence lockers, although they are looking for a less costly alternative. Rehabilitation of some old storage sheds for evidence storage will add another $25,000 to the project. Some requests from the Police Department were not included in the current project, including a request for a covered parking area estimated to cost $105,000 and tempered glass windows at an estimated cost of $47,000.
Although the total cost is expected to be close to $2.675 million, the council only approved a maximum amount of $2,522,284 to cover the base bid for the general contracting of the project so that the Jackson Contracting Group could get started on the project.
“This will get the basic building built,” said Stranger.
Cody Frey, Project Manager for the Jackson Contracting Group, said that the construction, which began last week, is scheduled to be completed in about eight months.
The Council approved a contract with Ravalli County Economic Development Authority for grant management of the pass through CDBG funding of $13,000 for construction of the Ravalli Head Start Expansion Project.
The Council also approved an amended Memorandum of Understanding with the Bitterroot Ecological Awareness Resources (BEAR), a nonprofit outdoor youth mentoring program, that aims to install a Ropes Challenge Course near the entrance to Hieronymus Park.
Rope courses come in many configurations and are designed to stimulate interest in outdoor activity and provide a place where people young and old can challenge themselves physically and engage in team building exercises.
City Attorney Karen Mahar said that the project has been in the works for a long time. An initial MOU was signed in 2011 but was delayed due to difficulties in establishing the best location for the project. The first plans involved a potential location at Claudia Driscoll Park, but at the time the City didn’t have ownership of the ground. It took some time to decide on another location.
At this point, however, Hieronymus Park has been identified as the best spot for the project and money has already been raised for the initial construction of the lower part of the rope challenge course and close to $37,000 has been raised for the high portion of the course. Construction of the low course is expected to be completed in a month. The high portion is scheduled to be completed by September 30, 2019. According to Mahar, at that time, if the course has not been completed the City could either extend the MOU or let it expire and have the low course removed.
The installment of the final two street lights in the Lighting District that encompasses The Arbors subdivision was memorialized in a lighting agreement with NorthWestern Energy.
The City also agreed to terminate the MOU with the County and the Hamilton School District to install a sewer along Daly Avenue. The cost of the project had grown beyond the ability of the school to accommodate it in its budget, according to School Superintendent Tom Korst. The school district also found some grant money available for construction of a STEP system at the school that would resolve their waste disposal issues for a few years while additional funding is sought from other sources to pursue the sewer main installation project. The County and the school district have already agreed to termination of the MOU.
According to Mahar, the money coming into the state from its motor fuel tax was increasing and the Council passed a motion requesting distribution of the $32,324 to the City from the state’s Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Program.
The Council also changed its scheduled meeting dates from November 6, 2018 to November 7, 2018 due to elections and from January 1, 2019 to January 2, 2019 due to the New Year’s holiday.