Fairview approves Phase 1 of police training facility after value-engineering trims cost

The Fairview Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 21 to authorize the mayor to execute contract documents and issue a notice to proceed for Phase 1 of a new police training facility.

Staff and the Fairview Police Department said the project was reduced in scope after a value-engineering review of an initial $2.4 million bid. Police Chief Keith Humphreys described trimming high-end specifications to reach a Phase 1 base package of $1,165,000 and estimated a full build-out at about $1.7 million. "The process was almost double," Humphreys said of the original bid. "We pieced that back together and...the base bid on the civil package allowed us to put the building utilities in which is the most important thing."

Chief Humphreys told the board the value-engineering work removed features such as copper plumbing and high-grade metal roofing and deferred optional items (storage building, tower, retaining walls) to lower costs; he gave an example that switching plumbing material saved roughly $45,000 and said retaining walls had been priced at about $280,000 in earlier plans. He said the city focused on getting the classroom, marshaling area and range functioning first.

Commissioners asked about alternatives and site costs. Commissioners pressed whether utilities and environmental testing existed on the originally considered outparcel; staff said utilities did not run to the outparcel and that no bid comparisons had been completed for building on that parcel. Chief Humphreys said the city owns 14 acres in Hickman County that can accommodate later expansions and that the department will require memoranda of understanding for outside agencies that may occasionally use the range. "We will have MOUs for those usages," the chief said.

The board approved the resolution on a recorded vote of 5–0. The resolution authorizes contract execution and notice to proceed for Phase 1 under Resolution 24-26; the motion to approve was made and seconded on the floor and the clerk recorded the unanimous vote.

Next steps: staff will execute the contract documents as authorized and proceed with Phase 1 procurement and site work. The board did not vote on funding changes during the discussion—the item was approval to execute the contract documents and issue a notice to proceed.