FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to go out to bid for the construction of the new dispatch center. Bids will be due back at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, to the commissioners’ office at the Franklin County Courthouse on Main Street.

Plymouth Engineering Inc. of Plymouth representatives updated commissioners on the finalized bid package for the project to go out to bid. A mandatory pre-bid meeting for general contractors will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the commissioners’ office.

It is expected the winning bidder would be notified by the end of the day on Dec. 4, project engineer Keith Ewing said.

Ewing and Project Manager Fred Marshall explained some of the changes made to the plans and design.

Voters approved the county spending up to $598,300 in June for the entire project.

Among the items changed is to move the large storage containers for the Sheriff’s Department to the back of the sheriff’s office.

Theoretically, they could stay where they are across from the office and on the same land the dispatch center will be built on, Marshall said, but they couldn’t be opened.

Another change that had previously been mentioned is to go with a small, stand-alone septic system for the new center rather than trying to use a pump system to tap into the existing system that also covers the jail. The new system will be specifically sized for three people, Marshall said.

It has also been agreed to have Central Maine Power Co. run a new line from Route 4 and add a new service for the dispatch building rather than trying to tap into existing service. That will allow for no interruptions to the new building.

Another change is installing windows in the building that will be able to open, except for in the break room, Ewing said. The windows will be sliders and will have a screen-grill to prevent breakage, he said.

Commission Chairman Gary McGrane of Jay asked if that would interfere with the climate control in the building.

Ewing said the windows will be 8 feet off the floor and have screens that will make it difficult for employees to open them.

The change was made after it was pointed out that if the cooling and heating system failed, there would be no way to get fresh air into the building if there were only windows that don’t open, Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon said.

McGrane said that it should specified to employees that the windows should only be opened in case of an emergency or for a legitimate reason.

A set of drawings and plans for the project will be available to review for contractors who may be looking at bidding at the commissioners’ office.

Dispatch Building Committee Chairman Stan Wheeler, a dispatcher, will be the contact person for communications and county custodian, Greg Roux, a retired building contractor, will be the contact person for contractors, Ewing said.

Once the project is awarded to a contractor, Ewing said, the hope is construction will start within two weeks.

The general contractor will have 16 weeks to get the building to substantial completion, he said. It doesn’t mean the new building is done, it means the building could be occupied, Ewing said.

It is expected the project will be ready by June 1 or July 1, 2013, he said. Dispatchers may have to continue to work out of the sheriff’s office until the new 911 emergency system is installed.

County Clerk Julie Magoon said the project will be advertised in the Sun Journal, Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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