Taxpayer Cost To Stop Town Hall Project Tops $1 Million Mark

By John Voket

Despite a groundswell of support resonating from a February Council meeting, and efforts of critics turned political players to delay or derail a municipal town hall development on the Fairfield Hills campus, the cost of stopping the project at this point may be the one thing that keeps it moving forward.

After a 90-minute meeting late Tuesday called by outgoing First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, a group of town officials, legal consultants, and contract representatives were able to determine that delaying or stopping a Bridgeport Hall conversion to town offices at its present stage will cost Newtown taxpayers between $1 million and $2 million.

Contacted for comment on whether or not he would recommend incurring legal costs related to changing the present course of the project, which falls under the purview of Newtown’s Legislative Council, chairman William Rodgers said he thought even the $2 million figure might be “conservative.”

Mr Rosenthal said he is working to produce as many answers as he could anticipate coming from incoming first selectman Joseph Borst’s administration. Mr Borst is set to take the oath of office December 1 and to date has met just once with Mr Rosenthal to discuss transition matters.

Mr Rosenthal said at that meeting November 19, Mr Borst indicated he may develop questions after reviewing a detailed list of projects and issues that will be provided to him in the coming days.

During that Monday meeting to provide an overview of town activities, Mr Rosenthal said Mr Borst asked “no substantive questions.” Contacted Tuesday following a Fairfield Hills Authority meeting, Mr Borst said despite other people making statements suggesting that he will stop the project, that assertion is “not true.”

“I want to review what’s going on. It’s a big, complicated project,” Mr Borst said. “I wouldn’t tell them to stop. I’m looking for satisfactory answers for the public.”

In the final days of the decadelong Rosenthal administration, the first selectman along with a raft of town officials and contractors were working to prepare a comprehensive package of information about the one-of-a-kind public/private development plans at Fairfield Hills. In light of campaign season support to delay or stop the town hall project, which was echoed in many letters to The Bee in recent months, Mr Rosenthal said it was important to have an idea of the ramifications of such a move.

“The cost to stop or delay the project is easily past the $1 million mark. I don’t know if it would exceed $2 million, but we are trying to quantify that now,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr Rodgers, an attorney, said he conducted a thorough and independent review of documents related to the town hall project. The council chairman said he would not support appropriating the legal fees necessary to begin negotiating a slowdown or stop to the project.

“Absent any compelling reason, which I do not see at this time, the cost to the taxpayers would be too hefty a figure for me to support,” Mr Rodgers said. “Based on the number of players involved, and all the costs to negotiate settlements with them, the legal fees alone would be impressive.”

Town Attorney David Grogins said while there are no “onerous breach penalties,” inherent in the project manager’s contract with O&G Industries, any change to the present trajectory of work would incur covering the full cost of work contracted to be done, compensation to all the project subcontractors, including the architect, demobilization costs, and a previously negotiated five percent profit markup and all related legal costs to all parties involved.

Additional financial ramifications could result if Bridgeport Hall had to be mothballed, Mr Geckle said, and further financial losses may be incurred if any lease negotiations ceases due to the absence of a government center as an anchor tenant to draw traffic to planned boutiques, a restaurant, and medical support facilities that are already in play.

“And taxpayers would still have to pay to heat, provide electricity and security for Bridgeport Hall if the plans are altered,” Mr Geckle said.

Selectman-elect Paul Mangiafico responded via email regarding whether or not he would support any change in course, a delay, or postponement of the municipal office development at Bridgeport Hall, if the cost to the town would be in excess of $1 million.

He replied that the new incoming first selectman promised a quick and comprehensive review of all Fairfield Hills activities, status, and direction.

“I support that and await the status of the review,” Mr Mangiafico said. “Based on that, I will see what, if anything, needs to be done.”

Newly elected council representatives Po Murray and Gary Davis of the Independent Party of Newtown, which endorsed Mr Borst’s candidacy, continue to call for delaying or halting the municipal office development.

“Under Joe Borst’s leadership, I believe we will have the opportunity to make a timely assessment of our options and, in dialogue with the public, judge what type of course correction may be warranted to the Master Plan,” Mr Davis said in a recent email response regarding his position on the town hall project. “I think it’s appropriate to temporarily halt activities to build a new town hall at Fairfield Hills while this assessment is undertaken.”

“I would strongly favor temporarily halting the development of the town offices at FFH,” Ms Murray said in a separate reply. She added that the development at Bridgeport Hall should be stopped, “until it has been demonstrated that the current plan should be the top priority and is the best available long-term option to address the space needs of the town and schools.”