Referendum Update: Wildwood and Briarcliff Phase 1 Bids Rejected
On May 8, we received bids for Wildwood and Briarcliff Phase 1. The lowest responsible bid for the combined projects, including the Wildwood restrooms, came in at $5,339,000, which was 32% or $1,295,000 over budget, net of a $150,000 allowance. The primary reasons cited by our architects for the bids coming in above budget were: rising material costs and speculation about substantially higher future material costs due to U.S. imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports; higher transportation costs due to rising fuel prices resulting from the US’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear accord; and some modifications to the design specs requested by building stakeholders before final plans were submitted to the state in March 2018. At the time, these modifications were believed to be within the cost contingencies built into the budget.
On June 4, the Board voted to reject the current bids for Wildwood and Briarcliff phase one and therefore, construction will not begin this summer.
Currently, we are working with our architect, FKA, to determine if there are measures we can take to reduce costs without changing the scope of the projects in each building. This includes the high school, which has yet to go out for bid. FKA will be attending our next Board meeting on 6/26, at which time we will discuss courses of action including the cost reduction measures.
Please review the latest plans from FKA's presentation at the December 4th BOE Meeting.
School taxes are one component of your property tax bill. Please visit the link below to learn more about the plans the Borough has for improvements that will also impact your property tax bill.
Borough Beach and Dam Renovation Tax Impact
Project Overview