$400,000 upgrade of office areas at VBT Hall nearing completion

The largest part of $400,000 worth of renovations to Van Buren Township Hall is nearing completion. It was promised to be done by the time of the presidential election, but on Tuesday it was still hidden under a tarp of secrecy.
The work in the Clerk’s office has been done for some time.
At the regular meeting of the township board on March 1, two trustees voted against the $380,000 worth of costs to renovate two office areas at township hall, plus another $20,000 for associated technology.
But the rest of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees voted yes, passing the motion.
Voting no were Trustees Regina Miller and Jeff Jahr. Absent and excused from the meeting was Treasurer Sharry Budd.
The office renovation project under way is the reconfiguration of the Building and Planning, Downtown Development Authority, and Water Department offices at the township hall, plus some work done in the Clerk’s office.
Sources for the funds are: $150,000 from Water and Sewer, $125,000 from Building and Grounds, $100,000 from the DDA, and $25,000 from an insurance reimbursement from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority.
Trustees Miller and Jahr had questions about the new “design and build” type of contract being granted to Cross Renovation, Inc. for the not-to-exceed amount of $380,000, which was reduced from the original $400,000 amount after much discussion at two board work/study sessions.
The amount includes architectural design, construction management including specifications, construction, and everything in the project.
Director of Public Services James Taylor pulled the $20,000 for the big-screened TVs and other equipment out of the design and build total, saying it was being purchased in-house through the IT Director Steve Rankin.
At the March 1 meeting, Taylor explained that the township hall was built in the mid 1990s and since then they has collected 20+ years of binders and plans.
He said there are 21 employees in the area involved and recently additional staff was added in the Clerk’s and Building Department.
He said the project is to improve the overall efficiency and service delivery to customers of the township.
In the larger part of the project, the three operations collaboratively work together to project the needed services for the wide range of customers, from residents seeking permits to business owners and potential developers.
The project also included a smaller scale renovation of the Clerk’s office which provides office space to accommodate the Benefit’s Coordinator’s need for space and security, while improving the counter operations.
“As you can see, this effort is more than putting up more walls for offices and shuffling desks around. It is the first step in a comprehensive upgrade of the way we conduct our business,” Taylor said.
“There is technology that will be integrated into our processes, a more open counter for customer convenience and reduced waiting time, and a host of other items…”
The project was being pushed forward to get it done before the fall’s presidential election when the clerk’s office would be very busy, but Taylor said there is no completion date set as yet. There will be a $550 per day penalty set for work that continues past the deadline, once it is set.
At the work/study session the day before the regular meeting, Trustee Jahr said, “I have reservations about this whole procedure … It’s not spelled out what we’re buying exactly. We’re paying $380,000, but I don’t know what for.”
He asked when it will be completed, since no time of completion has been set … “I don’t know what we’re buying and when we’re going to get it,” Jahr said.
“No drawings have been completed,” Jahr said. “I have trouble approving a blank check.”
“I would like to know the scope of the project,” Jahr continued. He asked if it turns out they have to add a cubicle, will it cost more?
“There’s a $210,000 estimated construction cost from Cross, but it hasn’t been bid and it doesn’t say what we’re doing,” Jahr said. “What will we get less of if he can’t do it for $210,000? I’m not comfortable with this.”
When the $400,000 figure for the project was first announced, Jahr said you could build a very nice house for that amount of money.
Taylor said they’ll be getting the stamp of approval on the final design from the supervisor, treasurer and clerk.
At the March 1 meeting, Trustee Miller said she knew that the Building and Planning Department was crucial to the township and she understands the advantages of design/build and the time parameters.
“I’ll be voting no because of the cost limitations, what we’re getting for our money,” Miller said.