The Board of Selectmen is expected to approve the sale of Town Hall South, which housed the former police station along with other town offices, as well as set the guaranteed maximum price for the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial, among other items, at its August 16, meeting.

In an August 9 interview with The Newtown Bee, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said selectmen will also likely initiate the process for listing the vacant 3 Main Street facility. The first selectmen said he has been approached confidentially by potential buyers, but the town isn’t going to sit and wait for those offers to become formalized.

When formalizing the listing, Rosenthal said, his board will likely consider imposing a deed restriction on the property limiting its future use. Rosenthal hopes that a future occupant or owner will use the building’s current footprint, though the building “needs a facelift.”

“Some sort of commercial reuse would be best, ideally offices, retail, or a combination of those,” Rosenthal said. If the building does not sell with those deed restrictions, then “anything goes.”

The BOS will likely approve a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial bids for the project budget. The town received a $2.6 million grant from the state for the project in June of this year.

“It looks good, we’re putting the finishing touches in,” said Rosenthal.

Rosenthal stated that the construction manager at risk is a delivery method that entails a commitment by the construction manager to deliver a project within a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) based on the construction documents and specifications at the time of the GMP plus any reasonably inferred items or tasks.

After going through all of the bids, the contractor, Downes Construction Company, of New Britain, put together the GMP, which gives the final project cost, excluding some soft costs such as owner contingency, legal fees, and architect fees. The total project cost is $3.7 million; however, the GMP approved will be a number that is less than that, accounting for the soft costs.

In addition to making some 2020-21 year end transfers between line items, the BOS is also expected to consider two resolutions for appropriations.

The first in to appropriate $8 million for the planning, design, engineering, and installation of a ventilation system and HVAC renovations at Hawley School. The appropriation was authorized in the capital improvement plan (2021-22 to 2025-26). The town will issue $8 million in bonds to borrow the amount.

The town will also potentially approve a $500,000 appropriation in bonding for road work.

Rosenthal said the town, when he began as first selectman, was doing $1.5 million in road work out of its regular operating budget and bonding $1 million more for road work. During his tenure, the town has been moving to paying for more of the roadwork out of annual operating budgets and borrowing less — at a rate of approximately $250,000 each year.

This year, the town will pay $2.5 million for roads out of its operating budget and borrow $500,000. Next year, Rosenthal hopes to use $2.75 million from the operating budget and only borrow $250,000; and in 2023-24, the goal is to spend $3 million from its operating budget on roads and eliminate bonding any funds for roads and bridges.

After that, the town will keep $3 million in the budget for roads, with the only additions to account for inflation.

Finally, the BOS will also formally accept a grant for the Sandy Hook Heritage Park and Trail.

On June 21, the Board of Selectmen learned that the town is in line to receive a $128,205 Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant administered through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. That grant, along with a required town-side match of $12,000 and additional funds raised by the Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity, will help complete a new pocket park in the center of Sandy Hook Village.

That project will transform the site of a former vehicle repair garage at 7 Glen Road from an underutilized brownfield location into an improved, landscaped destination that will serve as an anchor to a “heritage walking trail” that will educate residents and visitors about the history of Sandy Hook.

Once completed, the site, including a new pavilion, will be an attraction that should significantly boost traffic and commerce to area businesses, with added parking and benches.

According to Rosenthal, the agenda for the board meeting is preliminary, and some of these items might be delayed until a later meeting.

Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.