MC Group presents owner's-rep case to Germantown trustees; no contract decision, further committee review planned

The village board heard a presentation from MC Group advocating for an owner's-representative to oversee the police department building project, emphasizing early engagement to influence team selection, control budgets and monitor change orders.

Rick Miller, founding partner of MC Group, described owner's-rep duties on similar municipal projects and urged trustees to retain an owner's rep before hiring a construction manager: "You cannot hire your construction manager before us. That would be foolish," he told the board, arguing an owner's rep helps drive value engineering and prevents avoidable cost growth. He cited a recent Port Washington public-safety project where the owner's-rep team helped lower the projected budget from initial targets after design and bidding phases.

Trustees had procedural questions about committee routing and timing; they reaffirmed the path via the building oversight committee for selection and contract review and deferred any contract award. Several trustees stressed the need for careful budget estimates and recommended the building oversight committee examine proposed fees and oversight cadence before the item returns to the full board.

Why it matters: The police building is a major capital project; an owner's rep can materially affect procurement strategy, contracting, and cost containment. Trustees signaled interest but asked for committee-level vetting so the village preserves oversight and process integrity.

Next steps: The village will route the owner's-rep selection process through the building oversight committee, which will review proposals, fees, and contract terms and return a recommendation to the full board.