NORTH BEACH, MD - Despite earlier assurances that the Town of North Beach would not reopen the issue of the controversial plan to build a new town hall until after the first of the year, citizens of the town found the item back on the agenda for the town’s Dec. 11 meeting. The town council voted 4-2 to put the project out to bid with some modifications so that they would know, as councilmember Lynn Striegel stated, “what we’re dealing with, cost-wise.”
The citizens weren’t happy, and neither were at least two of the town’s councilmembers.
Others in favor of the project stated they had met with the governor’s office and learned of new initiatives by president-elect Barack Obama that possibly could help fund the project.
“When the new president takes office, he intends to introduce infrastructure financing for all kinds of projects,” Striegel told residents. “While there are no assurances, timing is everything in getting this project submitted.”
“This information came to us as recently as last night,” said Mayor Mike Bojokles. “This is something we can do. We were told by the governor’s office that this would be a great project to submit for funding.”
When the motion was made and seconded to put the $2.1 million project out to bid with two alternative plans—one being to leave the second floor of the building unfinished initially and another that also includes part of the first story as being unfinished to help pare anywhere from $340,000 to $600,000 from the project cost—that’s when the fur started flying.
“We’re basically right back to where we started from,” said dissenting councilmember Gregg Dotson. “This is essentially the same building we started with. It’s too big and too expensive.”
At this point, several voices from the audience echoed, “we all agree,” accented by a round of applause.
“My plea to reduce the size of the building fell on deaf ears,” Dotson continued. “We haven’t scaled back. Obviously, this thing is going to go out to bid. I’m only one vote. But I’m not happy about it.”
“Neither are we,” came echoes from the audience.
“I cannot support this project in its current state,” Dotson concluded.
Councilmember Andrew “Bud” Hunt then joined the fray.
“I’ve been involved with the town council for a long time,” Hunt stated. “This is by far, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. It’s caused me personal problems; I’ve had trouble sleeping over this. It’s a wonderful building, don’t get me wrong, but what I’m hearing from the citizens is that they don’t want this. We told the town we were going to compromise, but we haven’t changed anything. I knew this day was coming months ago and I’ve dreaded it ever since.”
Councilmember Gwen Schiada asked citizens to put their emotions aside and let the town find out what the costs associated with the new building will be.
“Why should we be afraid to find out what this building is going to cost?” she asked. “We’re not committing to anything. To put a project out to bid doesn’t cost a thing. We need to put our emotions aside and get the information.”
“Let me talk for a moment about the legalities of what this vote means,” town attorney John Shay interjected. “We have an existing set of plans that are six months old. At this point, you don’t know—especially with the way the economy has been going—what this building would cost. This allows the town to put the project out to bid and then once you get a series of proposals by contractors, you will know what costs you are dealing with. You don’t know that now.
“The town council has the right to accept or reject any and all bids,” Shay added. “But then you would know what it would cost. If it comes back as too expensive, then the town council essentially has an obligation to reject all bids. This does not obligate the town to build any building, but this will get people who are for the construction and those who are not for the building some indication of what it will cost.”
E-mail Joseph Norris at editorial@calvertindependent.com.
The Calvert Independent
