Cost overruns on Portsmouth police station prompt concerns

Expenditures may exceed $10M approved by voters

By Jim McGaw
Posted 10/12/18

PORTSMOUTH — What happens when voters approve the borrowing of $10 million to construct a new police station, but the construction costs exceed that amount?

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Cost overruns on Portsmouth police station prompt concerns

Expenditures may exceed $10M approved by voters

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — What happens when voters approve the borrowing of $10 million to construct a new police station, but the construction costs exceed that amount?

That was the big question posed at the Oct. 9 Town Council meeting, when it was revealed that the cost of the new two-story police station could exceed the project cap by anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000.

According to Mark Zawatsky of ABM Group, the owner’s representative for the town on the project, the projected overage is due to recent change-order requests submitted by the contractor, Bentley Builders of North Kingstown. The estimated overruns will be fine-tuned in the coming months, he said.

According to a monthly update report through Sept. 30 that was submitted by ABM Group, 10 change orders totaling about $415,000 have pushed construction costs to about $8.72 million. The council awarded a base contract to Bentley of $8.31 million in September 2017. The construction costs don’t include furnishings and equipment.

Council member Paul Kesson pointed out that council members have not received any details about the change orders responsible for the cost overruns. Mr. Zawatsky replied he would make sure to include them in future monthly reports.

Mr. Kesson also questioned the legality of exceeding the $10 million cap authorized by voters in November 2016. He asked for a written opinion from Town Solicitor Kevin Gavin on whether the town would be violating its town charter and state law by going over the authorized amount.

“I don’t think we can go over $10 million,” said Mr. Kesson.

Mr. Gavin replied, “If there are change orders that increase the cost of the project, it’s not a violation,” said Mr. Gavin, adding the town would be in violation of the law only if it borrowed more than $10 million for the project.

Council member J. Mark Ryan said the “Big Dig” project in Boston had “legendary” cost overruns, yet no one questioned whether the city broke the law. 

Mr. Kesson, who said the council could still reduce the scope of the project to reduce costs, still pressed for a written opinion. His motion was defeated in a 4-3 vote, however, with council members Elizabeth Pedro and David Gleason supporting him.

Change orders questions

Larry Fitzmorris, president of Portsmouth Concerned Citizens and a candidate for Town Council, also questioned the change orders and the escalating project costs. After being told that Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr. and ABM Group authorize change orders, he said that job should be left up to the council.

“Cost control is one of the principal functions of senior management. You’re the ones responsible to the people if this goes north of $10 million like it looks like it’s heading,” Mr. Fitzmorris said.

Council member Linda Ujifusa cited a 2015 report the town commissioned that put the total cost of the project at slightly under $10 million, but with a 5-percent annual escalator that would bring today’s costs to about $12 million.

Mr. Zawatsky added that ABM is doing its best to keep the total cost within the $10 million cap, and that the current overruns could be worse.

Mr. Fitzmorris wasn’t convinced. “If it was really $12 million, then the previous council was deceiving everyone on the costs,” he said. “The credibility of the council is at risk here. We don’t seem to have any cost controls.”

He recommended saving about $500,000 on the project by using the same communications equipment, “which seems to be working just fine.”

Mr. Zawatski said the town has a $469,000 contract with Motorola for the dispatch room equipment, but the original estimate was over $1 million. “We’ve reduced the cost by more than half,” he said.

Council President Keith Hamilton said the communications equipment currently being shared by the police and fire departments “is at the end of the line,” and he took issue with Mr. Fitzmorris’ charge that the council isn’t doing its due diligence to keep costs down.

“I wouldn’t describe a 1-percent overrun on a $10 million project as out of control,” Mr. Hamilton said before asking Mr. Fitzmorris to wrap things up. “I know it’s election season, but enough.”

Mr. Fitzmorris interjected one last remark before sitting down: “If I were sitting on the council … I’d be embarrassed by this.”

December completion projected

The new 22,0000-square-foot police station was originally scheduled to open its doors this month. However, due to a roofing contractor backing out of the project, construction was delayed eight weeks, Mr. Zawatsky told the council in late August. 

Construction is back on track, however, and “the project is moving ahead at a rapid pace,” he told the council this week. The job is now expected to be completed in mid- to late-December, with the station opening in January 2019.

The station is being built behind the current station, which is about 5,000 square feet in area and considered obsolete. That building will be demolished after the new station is occupied.  Final grading and work on the parking lot and plantings have been deferred until next spring, Mr. Zawatsky has said.

Portsmouth Town Council, Portsmouth police station

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.