Oswego trustees have authorized the hiring of an architectural firm to do a space needs assessment for the village’s Public Works Department.
“The village has seen tremendous growth in its recent history. In tandem with this growth, the Public Works Department has identified an increased need for space,” Oswego Public Works Director Jennifer Hughes said in a report to trustees.
The study will provide options including possible expansion of the existing Public Works facility at 100 Theodore Drive, Hughes said.
“A space needs study will help mitigate the risk of investing in capital without proper analysis. This analysis should address the status of the village’s current facilities, as well as develop and identify logistics, personnel needs and site layout for future operational needs,” she said.
The village received three responses following a request for qualifications for the study last November. A village selection committee identified Itasca-based Williams Architects as the front-runner. Trustees on Feb. 6 unanimously selected Williams Architects to do the study, with the contract not to exceed $26,000.
Hughes said there are obvious space needs for Public Works staff. In addition, equipment and Public Works vehicles are often exposed to the weather at the current facility, Hughes told trustees.
“We do not protect a lot of our equipment and we have invested significant amounts of money in vehicles. It would be nice to get those under a roof,” Hughes said.
Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman inquired about whether the department could assign a dollar value to the devaluation caused by having equipment and vehicles parked outside.
“What are we losing by keeping our equipment outside?” he said.
“If a snowstorm is coming, instead of being able to load trucks with salt, we can’t do that if the truck is being kept outside. Weather will impact the ability to deliver salt in an expeditious way,” Hughes said.
She said storing vehicles outside also speeds up the degradation of the vehicles.
“Something that is going to last 15 years may start to really degrade in 10,” she said.
Approximately $2.5 million worth of Public Works equipment and vehicles are parked outside on a regular basis, she said. During the winter, one-third of the vehicles and 90% of equipment are outside, according to Public Works officials.
Storage space for vehicles is just one of the issues with the current Public Works facility, Hughes said.
“As it is, we are out of office space there,” she said. “We are looking at options to properly prepare for growth in the village. We know that we are going to need to increase staff with the development that is coming.”
The contract includes an assessment of facilities, space planning, facilities management options, energy efficiency possibilities, fuel requirements for vehicles and a conceptual design as well as preliminary cost estimates and a cost benefit analysis for various options, Hughes said.
Some of the options include expanding the existing facility as contemplated in the past or building a new building to take advantage of emerging technology. Another option would be purchasing an existing building and renovating it to suit the village’s needs, she said.
The study will take several months to complete, Hughes said.
“We would like to put some options together with the intent of having a report ready in August for the next budget cycle,” Hughes said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
