Ranlo awards design work for town hall and police station; board weighs how much local money to commit

Ranlo’s board confirmed it has engaged Moseley (the design team) to produce schematic designs for a new town hall and police station and discussed how design work ties to future grant applications and possible local funding.

Town Manager Speaker 2 said Moseley provided a proposal and the town awarded the firm to create design documents; those schematics, he said, are required before the town can effectively pursue many grants. He explained the design cost is ‘‘substantially less’’ than a $1,000,000 local contribution the mayor had mentioned and that the $1 million would be a separate local appropriation if the board chose to earmark money for the broader project.

The town manager added Moseley will provide services to help find funding and connect the town with engineers and grant specialists who have helped other municipalities secure large grants. ‘‘They have people that just all they do is go find money for their clients,’’ he said.

Board members discussed whether to expand the project beyond a town hall and police station to include elements such as an amphitheater, noting any larger scope would require additional design and funding decisions. No final appropriation was made during the meeting; staff will circulate the Moseley schematics and follow up on funding strategies, including possible grant applications led by the firm’s funding specialists.