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Commissioners authorize $3.85 million transfer to advertise bids for sheriff support services building after county estimate shortfall
Summary
The board approved a $3,850,000 transfer from capital reserve to the Sheriff's Office Support Services Building project to allow the county to advertise a solicitation for construction bids after a third-party estimator identified additional site-development costs.
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County on Sept. 30 approved a $3,850,000 budget amendment transferring funds from the capital reserve to the Sheriff's Office Support Services Building project so staff can advertise construction bids. County public-works officials told the board a third-party estimator and subsequent project-development work identified about $3.8 million of site-development costs that were not captured in earlier estimates.
Deputy County Administrator David Yingling and Public Works and Transportation staff said the original headquarters and support-services work had been one project and was later split into two phases when bonding authority was limited. That phasing, along with design choices and some program shifts between the main headquarters and the support-services building, produced additional site work — including earthwork and stormwater management — that must be completed before the construction contract for the support-services building can be advertised.
"When the third-party estimator did the entire project, combining the phase 1 and phase 2... they identified that our contractor missed some site development costs to the tune of about $3,800,000," staff said. County staff said the requested transfer would allow the county to advertise a solicitation for construction bids and thereby obtain firm market prices.
Commissioners pressed staff on scope, contingency and schedule. Staff said design for phase 1 is complete and that the advertised package would cover the site work that prepares both the support-services building pad and the eventual headquarters pad, including utilities and infrastructure stubs. Staff estimated a roughly five-month bid phase, followed by responsiveness/responsibility checks and eventual award; commissioners urged staff to shorten timelines where feasible.
The board approved the $3,850,000 transfer and authorized the commissioner president to sign the amendment. County staff said bidding will establish the project's market cost and that further board decisions would follow if bids exceed available funding.
Commissioners and staff noted concerns about prior scope growth and the need for tighter cost estimation during CIP planning; staff said the county is refining CIP procedures to reduce such surprises.
