Work to start on Milo Public Safety Building

MILO — With the contract signed with Sheridan Construction Corporation of Fairfield, work will begin soon on the $7.2 million Milo Public Safety Building.

The contract was signed earlier in the day, Town Manager Bob Canney said during an Aug. 13 select board meeting. A gray color for the building was agreed upon , he said, showing a graphic of what the public safety building will look like.

Routine ground testing will start soon prior to the first stages of foundation work. When results come back, without anything unexpected being revealed, the police department and public works side of the building will be the first part of the construction. 

“They plan to start pouring the fire station foundation the first of October,” Canney said.

Maine Earth of Hampden has been hired by Sheridan Construction as a subcontractor and the company will soon begin to build an access road off the Gerrish Road.

“They are moving forward and they are going to break ground shortly,” the town manager said.

“I think it would be more appropriate to do a ribbon cutting at the end,” Canney said, instead of also having a ground-breaking ceremony. “Then it’s a finished project.”

The select board and department heads present agreed with Canney as a ceremony will take place, perhaps in 2027, with the U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine to be invited to thank her for her efforts in securing project funding.

Earlier this summer the price for the public safety building was reduced by more than $900,000 to get within the $7.2 million budget while allowing for contingencies. Staff Engineer Keith Ewing of Plymouth Engineering negotiated with Sheridan Construction with Milo’s fire, police and public works department heads involved. 

Sheridan Construction was the low bidder at $7.6 million with all the submissions coming in over the $7.2 million price tag. The project needs to be within budget per USDA requirements. 

A cost of $6,647,300 was agreed upon by Ewing and the firm and was endorsed by the select board.

A wash bay was removed, the building slab in the office area was reduced from 6 to 4 inches and some alterations have been made to the roof design.

“The big additional change is a change to the structure of the building in order to allow a manufacturer to come in and minimize their steel sizes,” Ewing said last month. Frames were going to run perpendicular to the steel doors and now these will be parallel.

“You are still going to have a building that will last 35-40 years before you have to do maintenance,” Ewing said.

Construction is expected to take 18 months.

The new building will house the fire, police and public works departments. Milo can spend up to $6,375,000 in USDA funds for the public safety building, which will be located at the business park, less than a mile from the 100-year-old town hall where the fire and police departments are currently located.

Plymouth Engineering has met with town officials and department heads to design each department’s section of the facility. The engineering firm estimates the building, groundwork and engineering costs to total $7,200,758, or $825,758 more than what Milo has available in project funding. To make up the difference, residents approved a line of credit not to exceed $825,758 to cover costs above and beyond the $6,375,000 at a special town meeting. 

In other business, the select board received an update on the forthcoming fire department ladder truck.

A 2002 ladder truck with 36,000 miles with a $150,000 cost will be coming to Milo after a four-person team from the fire department traveled to New Jersey for several days in late June to look at a vehicle to replace Milo’s antiquated ladder truck.

Several parts, including shocks, an ABS sensor and fuel sending unit, need to be installed before the truck arrives in Milo, scheduled for later in the month.

“As soon as they get the parts they will put it on a flatbed and get it up here,” Fire Chief Mike Harri said, saying a training class will be pushed back until the vehicle is in town.

Much of the $150,000 would be covered by budget and capital reserve, and the Brownville Fire Department will contribute $6,000 toward the purchase. The adjacent communities share many resources and have mutual aid agreements in place.

Milo currently has a 1982 ladder truck that is too old to be fixed. Permission was previously granted to put it out to bid, with the motor itself potentially worth $15,000.

“The dugouts on the softball field are down and we’re moving forward with the rebuilding of those,” Penquis Recreation Crystal Cail said, with public works doing the demolition.

A soccer field will be going in behind the Brownville Elementary School, Cail said. The former Brownville Recreation Department has a pair of goals that can be used on this pitch for Penquis Recreation youth soccer.

The Economic Development Advisory Committee is looking at costs for a potential Main Street kiosk between Elaine’s Cafe & Bakery and the Milo House of Pizza which would include maps, flyers and other information for visitors.

“It would enhance people to come in and stop and find out what we have to offer, what the area has to offer,” Code Enforcement Officer Steven Quist said.