FARMINGTON - A proposal for a public safety building that could potentially house Farmington and county emergency services and a courthouse is in a state of flux.

The town had requested a feasibility study for the Farmington Police Department and the possible co-location of public safety services from Smith, Reuter, and Lull Architects of Lewiston and Bethel. The design firm responded with feasibility studies for a new police station on a town-owned site and a public safety building on a county-owned site.

However, cautioned Chairman Stephan Bunker at Tuesday's selectmen's meeting, "There has not been a formal adoption of those early preliminary plans yet."

Bunker ialso is a member of the county's building study committee that is examining issues of inadequate space in the county's emergency service buildings, along with building conditions and alternatives to the setup. Options that have been considered include leasing space, renovating buildings, and building a new structure. Smith, Reuter, and Lull unveiled their plan recently at a building study committee meeting.

"I certainly know the town of Farmington in the future is definitely going to need something," commented Selectman Jon Bubier. "I would certainly support a joint effort for services to be combined together, but I'd like to see a more solid position with where the county is headed."

Town Manager Richard Davis indicated that county commissioners have yet to consider the proposal. He noted the town has capacity to borrow money for such a project because it is only at one-tenth of its debt limit and has an "A" bond rating.

"It's becoming critical," Davis emphasized regarding the space issue, adding that the town's police force in particular is suffering from a lack of room to conduct business.

"We need to gain focus," Bunker stressed. "We've got a lot of different concepts out there."

Selectman Dennis Pike, who is also Franklin County Sheriff, said the issue grew from an urgent need for a secure dispatch center into an emphasis on having a new county administration building.

"The court issue seems to be the top issue on the agenda," he said. "What started out to be a secure dispatch has become dispatch at the bottom of the list."

The conceptual project budget and building program for a new police station could be generated, according to the architects, without a floor plan. A price of $5,500 would include a site visit by the town's civil engineer to make a visual inspection of the existing site conditions, with consideration being given to the possibility of wetlands, vehicle access, parking, permitting, and utilities.

A full scope conceptual design would provide for a more in-depth study of the site. That includes floor plans, building elevations, and a sketch site plan, along with a refined project budget and building program at a cost of $18,000.

For a new county public safety building, a floor plan and sketch site plan are needed to generate a project budget, with a full scope conceptual design costing $25,200. Plans and corresponding building programs would then be developed with the input of users and the building committee.