To the Editor:

This open letter's purpose is to inform the residents and voters of Westerlo about our town hall renovation project in advance of the referendum to be included on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The current town hall was formerly utilized as the Westerlo Elementary School for kindergarten through second grade and was purchased from the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District with grant money in 2010 to be used as our town hall.  In 2012, the town clerk, assessor, code enforcement officer, and supervisor moved into the school building with little or no modifications to the classrooms.

Approximately a year ago, the town board created a Building Committee to investigate options and make recommendations to transform the school into a functioning town hall. The Building Committee is comprised of the town board members and several experienced members of the community.

They were asked to develop a cost-effective plan that would address the impending repairs necessary to bring the building into code compliance, and at the same time consolidate the town court and State Police with the other town agencies in one building to provide a center for our town government.  

Although structurally sound, the building has several major problems that must be dealt with in the immediate future regardless of the recommended actions. The heating system is antiquated low-pressure steam and frequently needs repair, the meeting room floor must be replaced, the exterior doors must be replaced, the entrance stairs and ramps for handicapped people must be repaired, and the non-friable asbestos flooring and walls must be abated.

The Building Committee met an extraordinary number of times and each solution option was thoroughly explored, including the demolition of the school, sale of the current building, purchase of another building, and construction of a new building. The committee overwhelmingly agreed that a comprehensive yet practical rehabilitation of the existing facility is the best option and accordingly set forth a list of realistic goals.

The renovation project's comprehensive goals are as follows:

— Consolidate the town Court, State Police substation, and centralize records storage in the town hall building;

— Maximize existing space and provide all government offices in one location;

— Insulate the building;

— Install a modern energy-efficient heating system to conform to the state’s Energy Code and lower heating costs;

— Update restrooms to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;

— Lower ceilings and install modern energy-efficient lighting to reduce operating costs;

— Make exterior renovations to refurbish brickwork, fascia, and the existing roof system;

— Construct an ADA-compliant building entry to allow safe access to the main entrance for people with disabilities;

— Do site work on the driveway, sidewalk, front-entrance parking, parking for people with disabilities, and striping to improve traffic flow and safety;

— Improve parking-lot lighting and security;

— Abate existing asbestos materials to comply with the state’s Department of Labor regulations;

— Replace deteriorated columns at the building’s main entrance; and

— Provide multimedia enhancements and audio quality within courtroom/meeting room.

Delaware Engineering, the design and architecture firm selected by the town to provide the design and engineering plans and specifications, has provided a cost estimate of $887,196.50 for the renovations. The town board considered and, with the recommendation of the Building Committee, has authorized a bond resolution in an amount not to exceed $887,000 and further resolved that the referendum be placed on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 8.

Approval of the referendum by the voters will allow the town to fund the renovations through the issuance of up to $887,000 in municipal bonds. The town will then be able to solicit bids for the renovations from qualified contractors through an open, competitive process.

The renovation project will be broken down into various contract segments — general construction; electrical construction; heating and ventilation; and plumbing construction.  All contracts will be competitively bid and the project is scheduled to be completed by August 2017.

If approved by the voters, the renovation project will cost the average homeowner about $32 a year more in property taxes. However, the town board hopes to reduce this increase by applying for grants and utilizing town forces to complete a portion of the project.

The justice court has already applied for $30,000 in funds for the modernization of the court. Other grants may be available for consolidation of services, records storage, and asbestos abatement. All avenues will be explored, including legislative line-item grants. However, grants generally only cover a portion of the cost and cannot be applied for until we are further along in the project.

This referendum is the result of countless hours spent by the town board, Building Committee members, and Delaware Engineering — all working in unison to provide the residents and voters of Westerlo with a renovated, well-organized, and aesthetically pleasing town hall building that will not only be drastically more efficient, safer, and code-compliant for our employees and residents, but ultimately will be a building Westerlo can be proud of.

We invite and encourage the residents to attend the site visit and tour scheduled for Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. followed by a presentation and a question-and-answer session until 3 p.m. Please come out and have your questions answered firsthand and most importantly invest in Westerlo and cast your vote on Election Day.

William Bichteman, chairman

Westerlo Building Committee

Westerlo Town Board

Editor’s note: see related story.