New Leb Continues Town Hall Project In Spite Of Referendum Defeat

by Phillip Zema
At its regular Town meeting on Monday, September 13, the New Lebanon Town Board voted to put the Town Hall Capital Project out for bid on September 23. Contractors will have until 3 pm on October 18 to submit bids to the Town Clerk. At 4 pm on the same day, the bids will be opened at the American Legion Hall. Then on October 25 the Board will decide which bid to accept – it could reject all of them. There was no decision on when or if another referendum will take place.
Once a bid is selected, the Town will then have a more precise estimate of the project’s cost. An early estimate put the project’s cost at around $350k, but that total could either be higher or lower. Many supporting the capital project were confident that construction costs would not exceed $500k. Councilman Doug Clark and Town Supervisor Meg Robertson added that with the down economy, since contractors are struggling for work, building costs will likely be substantially lower (perhaps 20-30%) than during booming economic times.
During the public comment period, several residents were concerned about the project’s cost. One resident stated that a renovated Town Hall was a “want not a need.” The resident added that given the economy, the Town does not need an extravagant $815k building. Several audience members shared this concern and questioned whether the Town had the money to pay its expenses, let alone fund another building project. Some asked why the Town was further discussing the issue, as a bond referendum regarding the project had already been rejected by the voters.
Deputy Supervisor Monte Wasch made several responses to these claims. He stated that the project would never cost $815k; originally, in order to receive a $75k grant, the Town was required to hold a bond referendum at $815k. The Town, however, was not obligated to spend this amount, and Wasch said that nobody on the Building Committee believed it would approach this figure. Clark added that the Town was not on the brink of financial disaster; in actuality, the Town was on track with its yearly budget, he said.
Councilman Livermore was concerned that it was not the right time for the Town to partake in such a project. He thought the Town should table the project until the economy improves. He also questioned why New Lebanon needs a new Town Hall, as the government seems to function just fine at its current location.
Wasch stated that the Town may not be able to use the American Legion Hall in the near future. Reportedly, the New Lebanon Fire Department, which owns the building, is interested in selling it. The Town, therefore, will need a building where the Town government can function properly. The new Town Hall would function as a senior center as well. Clark added that the American Legion Hall is not handicap accessible and does not meet the State’s court size requirements. The new building would address those needs.
Several members of the Board and the Supervisor were adamant that a new Town Hall was a need, not a want because it would be a permanent Town owned meeting house, a source of community pride, a place for the senior center and would satisfy a number of State requirements. Moreover, the project could be financed using reserves and grants without raising taxes.
Councilman Baldwin claimed that a considerable amount of the internal work would be done by skilled volunteers. He also said that prison workers would likely do much of the sheetrock work. Baldwin added that despite the cost of materials, using the prisoners and local volunteers would reduce costs considerably.
Baldwin said that if everything falls into place, demolition would begin around March 1. Construction would then take place at the beginning of April, and, by late summer, the project would be mostly completed. The project and move would, it is hoped, be concluded by late fall.
Board Establishes Capital Reserve Fund For Town Hall Project
The Board also voted 4-1, with Livermore casting the lone dissenting vote, to establish a Capital Reserve Fund for the Town Hall project. There are several restrictions placed on a reserve fund. First, money in the fund can only be used for the project – subject to Board approval. Second, the fund cannot exceed $500k and, at most, only that amount can be used. Furthermore, the Town is not obligated to spend any of the reserves. At the meeting, the Board voted to put $100k into the fund.
Town Committees
The Town Board also agreed to establish an Emergency Management Planning Committee. Supervisor Robertson was elected Chairperson and Matthew Larabee was named the Deputy Chair. Trina Porte was appointed to be the Chair of the recently formed Conservation Advisory Committee. She announced that while the Committee currently has four volunteers, they are looking to add more, especially high school students.