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Marshfield council approves $9.99 million GMP for police station after debate over $800,000 grant
Summary
The Marshfield Common Council approved a $9.992 million guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for a police department relocation and debated whether an $800,000 state grant should reduce borrowing or fund project enhancements such as a larger garage.
Marshfield’s Common Council on May 26 approved a $9,992,000 guaranteed maximum price (GMP) with Kramer Brothers for the city’s police department relocation project and authorized incorporating that GMP into the city’s construction manager agreement.
The decision followed a presentation by Kramer Brothers and staff that said the GMP covers the base scope, including a 14‑stall enclosed garage. City Administrator Steve Barnes told the council the construction cost estimate for the building is $10,000,000 and the overall project estimate, including design and earlier expenses, is about $10,800,000. "The construction cost estimate for this project is $10,000,000. The overall cost estimate, $10,800,000," Barnes said.
Kyle Kramer of Kramer Brothers described project categories and contingencies and urged conservatism in changing scope. "From here to final, as long as you're not adding square footage or substantially changing the quality of the construction, we should maintain that number," he said, summarizing the firm’s view of the cost stability through final design and bidding.
Police Chief Jody Goring explained the tradeoffs on garage size, saying the base 14‑stall garage would shelter first‑response vehicles and two SWAT diesel vehicles but leave many detective and other vehicles exposed. "The original design was to have the larger garage. ... This garage is the basic operating level. Likely, we would come back in future years to add onto a garage," Goring said, emphasizing that unprotected vehicles face weather and security risks.
During debate, councilors pressed staff on whether the city should use an $800,000 state grant awarded to the project to reduce the planned borrowing or to fund alternates such as a larger garage. Barnes recommended using the grant for alternates and enhancements rather than reducing the borrowing, noting that the $800,000 roughly matches early design and engineering expenses and that staff had trimmed scope to meet budget targets.
Council member discussion ranged from a preference to "add on" grant money to avoid deferring improvements, to a caution that unchecked acceptance of future grants without parameters could expand scope without controls. An amended motion to add the $800,000 to the overall $10.8 million project borrowing passed, and the council subsequently approved the GMP and contract insertion.
The project team said a full 29‑stall garage would add roughly $1.3 million to the base GMP estimate, though that figure could change as final bids arrive. Staff expects to complete 100% construction documents in the coming weeks, open bids in early August and begin construction around Labor Day, with move‑in projected for late June or early July of the following year.
What’s next: staff will finalize construction documents, proceed to bidding as scheduled and work with the council on how awarded grant funds will be applied to the project scope.
