FARMINGTON — Franklin County Budget and Building committees have endorsed a proposed new dispatch center and would like county commissioners to send it to voters for a June referendum.

The committees will have to wait another two weeks before commissioners give them the answer. First, commissioners agreed Tuesday to give another architectural firm a chance to do a presentation to see if the jail can be renovated to house the dispatch center.

The option had been previously looked at and considered too costly to do. There were also concerns about acoustics and safety.

Commissioner Gary McGrane of Jay took it upon himself Friday to bring in Bunker & Savage Architects of Augusta to look at the jail. They have experience in rehabilitating buildings and dealing with acoustic issues, McGrane said. He said he had listened to the Budget Committee’s previous recommendations.

The proposed new building, endorsed by both Budget and Building committees, is estimated to cost $629,300, Building Committee Chairman Stan Wheeler said. It would be built on county property adjacent to the jail and Sheriff’s Department where the dispatch center is currently located.

The Building and Budget committees met jointly to discuss the proposed new building, Wheeler said. He read an email from county Budget Committee Chairman John Calloway of Avon stating that the committee supports the new building. He also said the members thought some of their previous recommendations were disregarded and the county did not check with another architectural firm on the project.

Wheeler told commissioners that the budget remained the same as the last time.

The committee had not been authorized to spend more money to find out if some items on the proposed budget were necessary or to seek less expensive options, he said.

The Budget Committee voted earlier this year to support a stand-alone, new building and to keep the jail as is to be used for a potential increase of services.

The committee would need money to pay an architecture firm to find out if there are ways to reduce the budget to get it under $600,000, Wheeler said. There are a lot of unanswered questions including if the existing septic system and a generator that serves the jail and sheriff’s building can be used for a new building.

Wheeler said he believes the proposed cost could be reduced to well under what it is now.

Commission Chairman Fred Hardy of New Sharon said he felt it was important to get the proposal under $600,000.

County Clerk Julie Magoon said there was $5,000 set aside for architectural work on the project and only $1,800 has been used.

McGrane said he thought the building proposal was a very good one but he wants to hear from Bunker & Savage to see if a section of the jail can be converted prior to putting the new building before voters.

“For me, it gives me at least another option,” McGrane said. “I’m basically looking out for best interest of taxpayers.”

Wheeler asked that the Commission give the Building Committee a chance to take the new building proposal to voters in Franklin County and see what they want.

Magoon ran some figures, he said, and the effect of the new building on property taxpayers would be at maximum $1 per $100,000 of valuation.

Commissioner Clyde Barker of Strong said what bothers him is spending money for another architect, and that the Building Committee needs money to see if there are ways to reduce the proposed budget.

Barker said the jail option has been reviewed and has been rejected. He also said the Commission is not supposed to spend money unless the whole board agrees.

McGrane said he did not spend any money to bring in Bunker & Savage.

Hardy said it would only be fair to put a vote on hold to hear what Bunker & Savage have to say at the next meeting at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the commissioners’ office.

The project needs to be well under construction by late 2012 because the next generation of 911 emergency communication will be installed, Wheeler said. If the county is not ready, then it could cost $80,000 to $100,000 to move the 911 equipment into a new building, he said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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