Estes Park trustee backs early contractor role in public safety building design

Estes Park Trustee Chris Eshelman told staff Tuesday he was comfortable with bringing a contractor into design of the planned public safety facility early, with staff tentatively planning to issue a solicitation in the next week or so.

The approach, known as construction manager general contractor, or CMGC, differs from design-bid-build, where no contractor joins until the building stage. CMGC brings a contractor in during design to review designs and materials.

Staff said it could help avoid costly late design changes but would not commit the town to a guaranteed maximum price, and the board could still choose the traditional bid process. Staff tentatively planned to issue the solicitation in the next week or so and return with an analysis and recommendation in late January or early February.

Staff said the existing facility is more than 90 years old, and its specific use is 52 years old. Officials said they did not know the exact year it was built in the 1930s.

A 2022 study identified the need for a new police facility, which has been a priority since then. The Emergency Operations Center now uses makeshift space in the event center, and the proposed building is intended to bring the police department, dispatch center, fire department and Emergency Operations Center space under one roof.

Staff said CMGC would add cost, offer less direct price competition than low bidding and take town staff time to procure and manage.

Staff said the traditional approach carries a high likelihood of a lowball offer and a higher risk of change orders, while early involvement could help catch design flaws before construction. Trustee Chris Eshelman backed the idea, saying the town "may spend a little bit more on the preconstruction, but typically in the value engineering side, you save more in the end." He later said he was comfortable with staff's approach.

The town had $1.5 million in general-fund money for the project, which the board set aside to begin design work. A Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant of $100,000 had been awarded. The proposed 2027 budget includes an additional $400,000 for the public facility reserve, and staff were working to secure $1 million in USDA congressionally directed spending grant funding.

Town finance staff said they believed trustees had acknowledged a plan to pursue certificates of participation at a study session in June or July. The town had been shown different cost and interest-rate options for a 30-year term. Staff planned to begin arranging bond attorneys, investment advisers and underwriters at the beginning of the year, then bring the board an ordinance authorizing the certificates.

Trustees also discussed how big the building should be. Eshelman urged staff to design a solid, useful project rather than the largest possible facility, warning that scaling back later can require costly redesign.

Trustee Bill Brown said the town needed to explain to the community why the proposed building was the appropriate size and level, noting that public pushback had already begun. Trustee Mark Igel described the existing facilities as "grossly undersized" and invited the public to tour them.

Mayor Gary Hall said Deputy Town Administrator Dan Weber had corresponded with people raising concerns in the public email forum and urged that the discussion be shared with the board.

Hall also told staff, "you should publish your remarks in a broader sense because Not everybody reads the public email forum." Mayor Pro Tem Kirby Hazelton asked staff for a tentative timeline of board decision points so the public could see when to follow the project, and staff said it would work to provide one.

Staff said the proposed facility could include space for a potential partner agency, but discussions about possible commitments were still underway. Staff said it had begun conversations with potential partners and was considering annual lease payments rather than upfront payments, though nothing had been decided. Igel asked, "Can we maybe get a firmer list or a commitment of who and how much?"

Staff said the tentative schedule depended on board feedback, with design development and land-use submittal expected in early 2027. The schedule includes public engagement and construction documents, with construction projected for late 2027 or early 2028 if the board chose to pursue a guaranteed maximum price in the second half of 2027.

Staff sought a dedicated December study session on the project. It is to be scheduled separately through the town clerk's office rather than added to the Dec. 8 session, because of the amount of material. Proposed topics include the facility program and square footage, partner space, floor plan, site and massing, community engagement, land-use review and board decision points.