Chandler takes more steps toward building crime lab
Courtesy of city of Chandler
This diagram, presented at the Chandler City Council’s Sept. 15 study session, shows the Chandler Police Department property where the city plans to build a new “Forensic Sciences” crime lab on property it owns along Pecos Road. A construction management contract was discussed at the session.
With a lengthy discussion, mostly about terms and the timeline and procurement and pre-construction items, the Chandler City Council took steps this week toward one of its larger municipal building projects it’s taken on since the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
Sept. 15, council heard presentations and asked questions of Chandler Police Department staff and a division manager about construction of what the city calls its new “Forensic Services Facility,” or crime lab.
Council is set to vote to approve a contract with Willmeng Construction on Sept. 18 for $431,000 as its “construction manager at risk” to build the lab.
Dan Haskins, the city’s capital projects division manager, explained that a construction manager at risk, or CMAR, contract is where the city has chosen the contractor for the job, with exact costs of the entire project still to be calculated and finalized.
He pointed out that “guaranteed maximum price preparation” is one of the steps called for in the CMAR contract.
The city states, in staff reports, that it has $55.6 million in 2021 bond funds earmarked for the project, with the about $10 million remaining portion of the estimated construction cost to come from the city’s general fund.
Council member O.D. Harris asked about the final cost of the facility, to be built on city-owned Pecos Road property, adjacent to the Chandler Police’s evidence and property storage facility.
“I’m going to have a hard time voting for a $60 million project without knowing the exact dollar amount,” Harris said.
Haskins explained state law prevents local agencies from talking about project cost with bidders on CMAR contracts, unless it’s the winning firm that’s been awarded a contract.
“If the cost comes in too high, we can go to the (second-place) bidder,” Haskins explained. “But it’s qualifications-based alone. The winner is the only one we talk dollars with. And we’re still early in the design phase, so we have some engineering estimates, but we’re not quite there yet on final design details and cost.”
In April, council approved a $430,000 design contract for the new lab.
Haskins said the CMAR process is regimented and standardized. Mayor Kevin Hartke mentioned that a Mesquite Groves Park $320,000 CMAR contract was also on the Sept. 15 study session agenda for what will be a multi-million-dollar, multi-phase project.
In March, Harris and five other council members voted to approve a CMAR pre-construction services contract to the same firm, Willmeng Construction, for the first phase of planned A.J. Chandler Park renovations.
Haskins, in response to another Harris question, said the four firms that were interviewed for the contract were Willmeng, Core, Okland and Mortenson. Caliente, Jacobson, M.J. Harris and Sun Eagle also bid, but weren’t interviewed.
The planned 30,000-square-foot new lab will address both capacity and technology constraints as it replaces the 5,500-square-foot, 26-year-old lab Chandler Police use now at their downtown station on Chicago Street.
The Chandler Police’s forensic services manager, Alicia Rosenburg, spoke at the study session about the need for the new facility.
She said the new lab will create more capacity for police to continue the 10-print analysis, DUI blood alcohol analysis, seized drug analysis and latent fingerprint services the department already provides. It will also allow Chandler to offer, for the first time, DNA, blood, drug, sex assault, computer forensics/digital and evidence analysis.
“The connection between the two buildings will allow for secure transfer of evidence,” Rosenburg said. “This will allow us to provide forensic services that we think are currently very important, and in the future, also taking some cases we currently must send to the state lab.”
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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