Taking a major step toward construction of a Wildwood police headquarters, commissioners Monday night approved a construction manager at risk contract with Charles Perry Partners.
The construction manager will supervise bidding and work of subcontractors and earn a fee of 4.75 percent, according to the agreement between the city and the company. After reviewing the project, the construction manager and city will agree on a guaranteed maximum price and completion date.
Steve Williams, who may serve as construction manager for the company, said work could begin in two months after project review and bidding by subcontractors. Charles Perry Partners, founded in 1968, has offices in Tampa, Orlando and Gainesville.
Cost has been estimated at nearly $7 million for the police headquarters, which will be built at the southwest corner of U.S. 301 and County Road 462 West. The city acquired the property several years ago for about $500,000.
Construction contract approval comes after several months of turbulence in the police department. An Oct. 21 electrical fire severely damaged the existing police station and sent dispatchers fleeing for their lives. Police Chief Paul Valentino, Deputy Chief Gerald Olbek and Capt. Ashley Rogers resigned after clashes with the city manager over mold issues in the 52-year-old station, originally built as a bomb shelter.
Officers now are operating out of the Brownwood substation and a temporary trailer parked on the old station site.
Last month, the city commission hired Paul Sireci, a former security director at Tampa International Airport, as interim chief until a permanent chief is hired.
City Manager Jason McHugh said 51 applications have been received for permanent chief and he will begin evaluating the applicants soon.
Commissioner Joe Elliott said Wildwood has been planning to build a police station since he joined the city commission two years ago.
“We are at a crossroads right now,” he said. “We experienced an unfortunate series of events.”
Instead of hiring a permanent chief and building a headquarters station, Elliott said the city could chose to contract with the sheriff’s office to provide police services.
“I’m of the opinion that we are on the right track,” Elliott said. “We should proceed without delay.”
Mayor Ed Wolf, who was re-elected last November, said some of his campaign donors suggested the city look at contracting for police services. Although it might make fiscal sense, the mayor said he prefers to keep the police department.
“We would lose our identity,” Wolf said, adding that maintaining the police department is important with the city’s growth.
Wolf said Wildwood could think about contracting with the county for call dispatching, a move that was rejected two years ago.
“I don’t think we’d lose our identity if we lost dispatch,” he said.
