MONROE - Now that the Green County Board of Supervisors has accepted a construction bid for a new justice center, talks can begin to lower the costs.
Janesville firm J.P. Cullen's bid of $11,272,872 was approved Tuesday by a 23-4 board vote. The bid is about $350,000 higher than the $10.9 million expense the county anticipated for construction of the 64,700-square-foot facility to be built on county-owned land east of the Green County Sheriff's Department and jail.
The Green County Ad Hoc Justice Center Committee has been discussing ways to lower construction costs. Ron Locast of Potter Lawson, the firm that designed the justice center, last week presented the committee with about $330,000 in items that could be removed to bring the project in line with the amount budgeted.
While Supervisor Tim Davis said the committee has done a good job to keep the project cost under control, he questioned whether J.P. Cullen would be able to keep costs down in light of economic factors.
"I don't foresee us keeping a tight rein on the budget," Davis said.
He was one of the four supervisors to vote against accepting the bid, along with Joe Cousin, Randy Iverson and John Glynn. Davis said he voted against the resolution because his constituents oppose building a justice center.
Cousin said he also opposes building a justice center, and said the project cost already has increased from $8 million to $12 million.
Iverson said his constituents oppose building a justice center, and said he thinks the board should reconsider the project. He didn't make a motion to re-evaluate the project, however, because he said it appears the majority of the board is ready to move forward.
Glynn was not available for comment after the meeting.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members who also serve on the ad hoc committee explained that items could be removed from the plans to bring it to the original projection. Some of the items include a reduction in the furniture budget, a change in floor tiles, eliminating wood paneling in some of the rooms and reductions in landscaping. The list of items that could be removed was presented to the full board Tuesday.
Board member Sue Disch, who also serves on the ad hoc committee, told the board the total cost for the project would not exceed the $12.63 million approved by the board last October.
Board member and ad hoc committee member Harvey Mandel said J.P. Cullen is a respected construction firm and he felt confident it and the county can work to keep construction costs at $10.9 million.
Cost negotiations with J.P. Cullen couldn't begin until the bid was officially accepted, Corporation Counsel Bill Morgan told the board. Doing so would have required the county to negotiate with all the companies that bid on the project.
An amendment to the resolution, proposed by Cathy Cryor-Burgweger, included Cullen's bid in the board's resolution and the total price of the project. The board voted 26-1 for the amendment. Cousin voted against it.
In other comments about the project, board members said they wanted to be kept informed about changes that affect the cost. Board Chairman Art Carter assured them the ad hoc committee would keep the board informed, and also encouraged board members to attend the committee's meetings.
Board members Ray Francois, Dennis Everson and Harvey Kubly were absent Tuesday.
Janesville firm J.P. Cullen's bid of $11,272,872 was approved Tuesday by a 23-4 board vote. The bid is about $350,000 higher than the $10.9 million expense the county anticipated for construction of the 64,700-square-foot facility to be built on county-owned land east of the Green County Sheriff's Department and jail.
The Green County Ad Hoc Justice Center Committee has been discussing ways to lower construction costs. Ron Locast of Potter Lawson, the firm that designed the justice center, last week presented the committee with about $330,000 in items that could be removed to bring the project in line with the amount budgeted.
While Supervisor Tim Davis said the committee has done a good job to keep the project cost under control, he questioned whether J.P. Cullen would be able to keep costs down in light of economic factors.
"I don't foresee us keeping a tight rein on the budget," Davis said.
He was one of the four supervisors to vote against accepting the bid, along with Joe Cousin, Randy Iverson and John Glynn. Davis said he voted against the resolution because his constituents oppose building a justice center.
Cousin said he also opposes building a justice center, and said the project cost already has increased from $8 million to $12 million.
Iverson said his constituents oppose building a justice center, and said he thinks the board should reconsider the project. He didn't make a motion to re-evaluate the project, however, because he said it appears the majority of the board is ready to move forward.
Glynn was not available for comment after the meeting.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members who also serve on the ad hoc committee explained that items could be removed from the plans to bring it to the original projection. Some of the items include a reduction in the furniture budget, a change in floor tiles, eliminating wood paneling in some of the rooms and reductions in landscaping. The list of items that could be removed was presented to the full board Tuesday.
Board member Sue Disch, who also serves on the ad hoc committee, told the board the total cost for the project would not exceed the $12.63 million approved by the board last October.
Board member and ad hoc committee member Harvey Mandel said J.P. Cullen is a respected construction firm and he felt confident it and the county can work to keep construction costs at $10.9 million.
Cost negotiations with J.P. Cullen couldn't begin until the bid was officially accepted, Corporation Counsel Bill Morgan told the board. Doing so would have required the county to negotiate with all the companies that bid on the project.
An amendment to the resolution, proposed by Cathy Cryor-Burgweger, included Cullen's bid in the board's resolution and the total price of the project. The board voted 26-1 for the amendment. Cousin voted against it.
In other comments about the project, board members said they wanted to be kept informed about changes that affect the cost. Board Chairman Art Carter assured them the ad hoc committee would keep the board informed, and also encouraged board members to attend the committee's meetings.
Board members Ray Francois, Dennis Everson and Harvey Kubly were absent Tuesday.