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Trustees debate construction-manager-at-risk and owner's rep for proposed fire station
Summary
Trustees debated whether to use a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) to deliver a planned fire station addition after concerns about conflicts of interest, scope creep and a reported $2.1 million mold-remediation cost. The board discussed adding an independent owner's representative to oversee the project.
Trustee Heftley urged the village to slow down on selecting a construction-manager-at-risk for the fire station project, saying he lacked information when he previously voted and worried a single firm overseeing both cost control and construction could create conflicts.
"I probably would have not voted for it like I did because I didn't have enough information," Trustee Heftley said, arguing the village's building construction oversight committee should review the approach before the board acts.
Supporters said a CMAR holds vendors accountable and that an independent owner's representative can provide the required checks. Trustee Warren, who described himself as a licensed professional engineer, said the owner's rep would protect the village from scope creep and urged the board to use both tools.
"When you rip down walls, you find things that were not part of the budget," Warren said, arguing that combining a CMAR with an owner's rep is standard practice and would help control cost increases. Other trustees said early conceptual work by the village architect showed an option to demolish the western half of the existing building and expand eastward, which could eliminate the $2.1 million mold-remediation risk.
The discussion covered project budget and contingency: trustees referenced a roughly $6.5 million project baseline with a 10% contingency and the need to preserve flexibility for a satellite station and future growth. Several trustees asked staff to proceed with RFP work for both a police and a fire project while ensuring an owner's-rep is included in oversight plans.
The board did not adopt a final construction contract during the meeting; trustees agreed to pursue an owner's-rep path and further vet the CMAR approach in committee and during upcoming RFP work. The chief said conceptual drawings exist that could keep the project close to budget while addressing mold and program needs.
The board moved on after clarifying next steps: further review by building oversight stakeholders, refinement of designs by staff and architects, and an owners‑rep procurement process before any final contractor authorization.
