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Allegany County committee hears DPW complex progress; infrastructure needs could affect timeline and cost
Summary
The Space Needs Committee received detailed updates on the Department of Public Works complex design, training-room plans and site infrastructure. Members were told staff expect to seek permission to bid in early June but outstanding utility and site work — including a possible $750,000 power-pole relocation — could affect cost and schedule.
The Allegany County Space Needs Committee on Wednesday heard progress updates on the county's Department of Public Works complex design, training-room and emergency operations plans, and related site infrastructure needs.
Committee chair Fred Demick said designers and county staff are finishing a final page-turn review and expect to be ready "to come and get permission to bid" by the June 4 public works meeting, barring unresolved site issues.
The committee discussed several design tweaks made since earlier reviews. Staff said the planned training room will be a dedicated space for mandatory staff instruction, including OSHA trainings, and will be available for outside entities to use. Committee members noted an initial vendor proposal for an elaborate wall-mounted display and computer package priced at roughly $75,000 exceeded the county’s budget; staff said they are now seeking lower-cost interactive solutions that provide video conferencing and presentation capability.
Architectural changes described to the committee included moving storefront windows up from ground level to reduce salt-related corrosion and oxidation in winter operations. Staff described that adjustment as a response to local maintenance concerns.
County staff told the committee the conference room is being designed to double as an emergency operations center for severe-weather and flooding events. The room will include a laminated county map on a wall for incident coordination and space to track road closures and assignments during events.
Site-preparation issues remain. Staff reported borings under an adjacent railroad and identified a power line that cuts the project corner along Interstate 86; an initial estimate to relocate those poles was about $750,000. The committee was told staff will seek pricing from RG&E to determine whether moving a smaller number of poles could improve the usable footprint without the full relocation cost.
Other outstanding items include underground electrical service: staff said the utility provided a plan but must drop a pole and supply wiring before the county can trench and install underground conduit. Work on sidewalks and other concrete is planned but weather has delayed grading and surface work.
The committee also heard a schedule update on the planned move-in for the public defender/conflict defender office being consolidated on county property. Staff said the general contractor expects interior work to be finished by the end of May, but lead-paint–related precautions and exterior scraping and painting require good weather; staff estimated the office could be ready for occupancy in June.
No formal vote or contract award was taken at the meeting. Members signaled support for advancing the project to the public works agenda to request permission to bid but left final authorization, budgeting and any utility-relocation decisions for future action.
Next steps: staff will obtain cost estimates from RG&E for pole relocation options, refine audiovisual proposals for the training room, coordinate required conduit and power work, and bring the formal permission-to-bid request to the June 4 public works meeting, according to remarks made during the session.
