Baybutt spanked, sent home

The Board of Selectmen yesterday jettisoned Baybutt Construction of Keene as construction manager for a new police station, deciding its estimate for the project was too steep. After the board accepted the recommendation of the Facility Planning Committee in November, Town Administrator Evans Juris was negotiating a contract with Baybutt Construction when he recommended against proceeding with the firm.

In a memorandum Juris read aloud to the board, he wrote that Baybutt Construction recently increased its estimated cost for the project from $4.1 million to $4.5 million. Noting that the Town of Meredith planned to build a police station for $2.4 million, Juris wrote that "I cannot and do not recommend the Board of Selectmen sign the contract with Baybutt Construction. Even though construction methods may differ between the Meredith proposal and ours, I do not believe that a price tag of $4.5 million can be justified to our taxpayers."

Fred Baybutt of Baybutt Construction could not be reached for comment.

Larry Routhier, who chairs the Facility Planning Committee, told the selectmen his committee concurred with Juris's advice. "We reached the same conclusion as the Town Administrator," he said, "that we should discontinue our relationship with Baybutt Construction." He added that the committee was agreed that the project "can be done at a much reduced cost to the taxpayers of Gilford."

Juris explained to the board that Baybutt Construction had agreed to amend the contract to make the agreement and fees contingent on the approval of Town Meeting and to divide any cost savings on the project evenly with the town. However, after nearing agreement on the terms of the contract, Juris said he had an opportunity to learn about the police station planned in Meredith, the cost of which did not include architectural fees.

The selectmen, who anticipated that voters would be asked to approve the sale of general obligation bonds to finance construction of a new police station in March, have scheduled a meeting with Facility Planning Committee on Friday morning to consider the future of the project.