Berlin council approves demolition contract for 130 Flower St. and declares town hall surplus ahead of renovations

The Berlin Mayor and Council approved multiple agenda items on March 23 related to town capital work and preparations for town-hall renovations.

Council awarded a demolition contract for the property at 130 Flower Street to the low bidder, Bennett Construction, with a reported bid of $121,000; staff said the work is CDBG-eligible and the town had received $300,000 in CDBG funding for the project. Council authorized demolition and asked staff to explore whether additional scope (removal of on-site trailers) could be added to the grant project; staff said they would follow up with the grant administrator about change orders.

Separately, Town Administrator Mary Baltz described cataloging and declaring surplus items from the closed town hall in advance of renovations, planning a public walk-through (Thursday, April 2, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.) and coordinating a town-wide garage sale. "The intent is to hold a town yard sale... and a time when people could walk through and see," Baltz said. Residents urged care in disposing of furniture that could be reused by town departments and asked for transparent pricing; one commenter asked that conference-room tables be retained if they fit in reconfigured offices.

The council approved the surplus declaration (Motion 2026-15) and the demolition award (Motion 2026-13) unanimously with council member Nichols absent. Residents raised concerns about the budget, furniture disposal, and process; council members said the town will assess each item for reuse and store items that can be retained for town use.