LEONARDTOWN, Md. – In the recent St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners meeting held on April 23, 2024, the Department of Public Works and Transportation provided a comprehensive status update on the development of a childcare facility that will be made available to all County employees and the Sheriff’s Office. Led by Director Jim Gotsch, the discussion highlighted key challenges and decisions faced in the process.
Initially, the plan for the childcare facility, designed to accommodate 73 children, was set to be located adjacent to Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy. However, as the project progressed, the department encountered unexpected hurdles, particularly concerning the pricing and specifications of modular buildings.
Director Gotsch shed light on the evolving nature of the project, noting that initial bids for the modular buildings significantly underestimated the actual costs. Gotsch noted that the price for the modular trailer rose from $723,000 to approximately $1.2 million.
Gotsch stated that they can absorb almost all the costs except for $432,000. Gotsch then proposed an additional $425,000 for the project, which would be funded by remaining budgets from other recently completed projects.
One of the primary concerns raised during the meeting was the potential risk of further cost escalation if delays in procurement persisted. Commissioner inquiries focused on the feasibility of adhering to the projected timeline and the necessity of securing approvals before finalizing the purchase of modular buildings.
The discussion also touched upon the capacity and future adaptability of the proposed facility. While the immediate focus is on serving county employees and their families, questions arose regarding the flexibility of the building to accommodate future needs or repurposing, considering the evolving landscape of childcare demands and community requirements.
Amidst uncertainties surrounding inflation and procurement timelines, the department expressed its commitment to meeting the proposed deadline for the facility’s completion by June 2025.
Gotsch is set to bring another update to the Commissioners in June. Before then, he will also present to the Planning Commission for request on approval on May 20.
Click here to watch the full meeting.
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There is no way on this earth that a modular TRAILER costs $1.2 million dollars let alone $723,000. Who bid this contract and who is allowing such outrageous bids to be accepted? A friggin double-wide doesn’t even cost that much- my HOUSE doesn’t cost that much. And we wonder why the commissioners are raising our taxes.
Exactly, No Bueno. Not only that but this goes to further incentivize the separation of police/county workers versus civilians. We don’t need to encourage more divide in this county we need to foster plans that are designed for all in the community because we are ALL in this together with are families not just county employees. This is a biased money waste it speaks volumes to the regular folk around here.
I agree with you 100 percent. But … If you don’t like how they are spending your money, check to see how your commissioner voted and then vote them out if you don’t like the job they are doing. While you are at it tell as many people as you know to vote the same. So many people just vote their party line without being informed of the actual voting records of each candidate. A democracy only works if we the people are educated and informed. So many complain, but they don’t bother to vote in local elections. We need to help change that so our opinions actually have a fighting chance of being heard.