Following two sparsely attended public hearings county officials remain eager to get the public’s input regarding the future of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Wiscasset.
A comprehensive site and structural assessment of the facility has determined that nearly $8 million in repairs and renovations are needed immediately.
The county has held two public hearings to report the results of the assessment and solicit recommendations on the question of renovating the existing structure or building a new one. No one from the public at large attended either public hearing and no public comments were submitted. Attendance at the public hearings June 11 and Tuesday, July 9 was limited to county employees.
Fielding questions from members of the audience July 9, Lincoln County Administrator Carrie Kipfer said the next step in the process remains getting input from Lincoln County voters. In another response, Kipfer said it is too early in the process to have an estimate on what a new building would cost.
Asked directly, Kipfer said she considered the current building to be a safety concern.
“I believe it to be a safety issue and to do nothing would be irresponsible,” Kipfer said.
“We cannot do nothing,” said LCSO Chief Deputy Rand Maker. “We have to do something. We need a safe place for our employees to work.”
Lincoln County Commissioner Hamilton Meserve and Kipfer both advocated for public input since the public hearings have not been successful in getting public comments. Meserve suggested voters use any means of communications available to them to share their concerns and recommendations with county officials.
“This is a critical situation, and needs to be addressed soon,” Meserve said.
Meserve suggested members of the public attend a commissioners meeting on the first and third Tuesday of the month and address the issue during the public comment portion of the meeting. Voters can call the commissioner’s office, email, stop in at the office during business hours, even send a letter.
“We would even consider having another public hearing to get the information out,” Kipfer said.
The assessment was completed by the Portland firm Gale Associates Inc. earlier this year at a cost to the county of $112,640.
The purpose of the assessment was to determine the feasibility of maintaining the building and addressing deficiencies and inefficiencies with the site or constructing a new facility in a different location
According to the report, there several conditions and deficiencies that affect the building’s performance, comfort, functionality, accessibility, and the health and safety, which are in need of repair, replacement and/or renovation throughout the facility.
Noted issues include replacement or repairs to exterior masonry, the roof, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, and site work, including surface treatment of the driveway and reconstructed sidewalks.
During the assessment Gale Associates hired sub consultants services from Harriman for architecture, mechanical, and plumbing consulting; R.W. Gillespie & Associates for soil and geotechnical consulting, Ransom Consulting LLC for hazardous building materials sampling and testing; and Preferred Construction Management for cost estimating.
According to the Gale Associates report, the estimated cost to do the scope of work is $7,487,174. The figure does not include costs associated with design, engineering, and other management projects that would be needed.
According to the report, a 20% contingency has been added to account for the volatility in the construction industry.
During the July 9 public hearing a complete report of the assessment was given by Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission staff including Executive Director Emily Rabbe, Land Use and Transportation Planner Curtis Brown, and intern Madelyn Kennedy.
Rabbe spoke briefly on a funding opportunity that may be available to the county to help fund the renovation or replacement of the facility. She suggested the county could apply for a Congressionally Directed Spending project grant.
She explained this funding would be requested when the project is close to “shovel ready” and would help leverage the county’s investment with federal dollars.
When a decision is made to either renovate or replace, it will go before the voters of Lincoln County for their approval or denial. A copy of the assessment report is available on the county’s website, lincolncountymaine.me. To access the report directly, go to bit.ly/4cxzOGd.
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners office is located in the Lincoln County Courthouse at 32 High St. in Wiscasset. The office phone number is 882-6311.
