Hillsborough OKs $150K for town hall

The Hillsborough selectmen unanimously voted to spend $150,000 on renovating the first floor of the Community Building to house the town offices Tuesday night. Jim Bruss of Bruss Construction, presented plans for the proposed work on the building. The Community Center building is located behind the Fuller Public Library, where Hillsborough District Court has leased space for some years.
The $150,000 is money that will be attributed to the 2009 budget, and so may not be used until Jan. 1. Town administrator John Stetser explained that $100,000 will be written into the line for maintenance projects, and that $50,000 will come from a trust fund that was set up in 2002 to move into the court’s space.
Stetser pointed out that voters will have a chance to review the move to include the $100,000 at the town’s budget hearing in January, when voters may vote to adjust parts of the proposed budget. If the voters do not approve of using the $100,000 at that time the project will have to be put on hold. The $50,00 from the trust fund may not be expended by the selectmen unless they are voted in as agents to expend the fund in March.
“This is by far the least expensive way to do this,” said Stetser. “This is a good deal for the town.”
It also appears to be the only avenue left to the selectmen, who have been searching for a place to settle the town offices for the better part of a year. So far, this is the least expensive resolution to the problem.
The state Fire Marshall’s office has been urging the selectmen to move the town offices out of the basement of the Fuller Library building for some months, so that a sprinkler system can be installed in the building. Hillsborough District Court agreed to move out of the building by the end of December to make the move possible.
“Each of the Superior Courts in each county are canceling jury trials for one month to cut money from the state budget,” chairman of the selectmen, Paul Haley, pointed out. “I think the reason the courts didn’t give us much resistance is because they are trying to save money.”
Bruss presented a preliminary estimate of the work to be done in what is being referred to as Phase One. This covers renovations to the first floor, where it is proposed that the town administrator, the financial assistant, the selectmen’s office, assessing, the welfare officer, the building inspector, the tax collector and town clerk move into.
Bruss’ preliminary numbers for Phase One total nearly $133,000. But Bruss warned that once the final draft was finished that number would be likely to change. Also, there is a list of issues that are listed as being “deferred to Phase Two,” and some of them may need to be included in Phase One, such as dealing with the oil tanks in the basement. The list of deferred issues totals $224,500, but it is apparent that list will be adjusted.
Haley pointed out that Bruss would be the managing contracting, and would be subcontracting out the work to Hillsborough contractors to stimulate the local economy.
Phase Two includes an elevator and renovations of the second floor. The selectmen are considering putting an article on the town warrant to ask for more funds to work on Phase Two. Haley hopes to see the Community Center building renovated on both the first and second floor, with an elevator, for less than $400,000, including the aforementioned $150,000. But the selectmen are yet to come up with a solid figure.
Phase Three of the plan is to build an addition to house a new town meeting room, but no mention of attempting to raise funds for that proposal was made on Monday night.A rough draft of the plans for Phase One is available at the selectmen’s office.