The Tiverton Town Council voted unanimously to authorize the administrator to enter into an agreement with Parr Engineering for feasibility studies covering a new Public Safety Complex and a relocated Department of Public Works recycling center.

Parr Senior Vice President Tim Thees told the council the firm will perform needs assessments, produce building and site concepts, and prepare order-of-magnitude cost estimates so the town can “make an informed decision as they move forward.” The contract’s basic-services lump-sum fee is $113,400, broken down in the presentation as $48,900 for the public safety study, $46,800 for the DPW/recycling-center study, $5,600 for a response-time study option and $12,100 for cost estimating.

Thees and his colleagues said the needs assessment will interview users across departments—“from the colonel down to the head of maintenance”—and that building concepts and site test-fits will follow. He described two response-time options: a quick radius-based overview and a more detailed analysis using the department’s call-history data to model consolidation impacts.

Councilors asked about community meeting space, shared facilities for police and fire, and the schedule. Thees said community uses would be folded into the needs assessment if the council so desired and recommended running the two studies concurrently while prioritizing DPW work because the town faces a lease deadline at the current DPW site.

Administrator Jones confirmed funds are available from prior appropriations and the solicitor said a subsequent resolution will reallocate the existing appropriations if needed. The motion to authorize the agreement named Parr as prime and Secochio (the architects) as a partner; it passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Next steps: the consultant team will begin interviews and facility assessments, return concept plans and cost estimates, and present findings for council review. The council indicated it may use the results to decide whether to proceed to schematic design and permitting.