Buffalo Grove official questions consulting fees

A green project has one Buffalo Grove village board member seeing red.

Buffalo Grove Trustee Steve Trilling told the village board this week he has issues with consulting fees associated with the replacement of two obsolete rooftop heating and air conditioning units at the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

Four inefficient rooftop units ultimately will be replaced with new, more energy efficient ones, using a U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

The grant covers all but $1,347 of the $119,500 bid for the units awarded to AMS Mechanical Systems.

Trilling raised issues with the cost this week after learning that about half the total consisted of consulting fees. He questioned whether the consulting engineer, Burns & McDonnell, had in fact designed something that was consistent with the grant funds to be received.

"How did we end up with twice the cost?" he asked.

Mike Skibbe, civil engineer for the village, said the original cost estimate was prepared as part of the grant application packet early on in the process.

"As we went through the study and design phases, the costs crept up from there," he said. "It was always our intent to try and use all the money available, which was calculated based on our population, not based on what project we submitted. So we left in the additional scope in order to try and use up all our money, instead of leaving money on the table."

Trilling asked if the firm reduced its costs now that the scope of the work is smaller. Skibbe replied that the firm had reduced fees related to the construction work. Of the $60,000 in fees, $14,000 were associated with the administration of the grant.

"How does somebody collect $60,000 in fees on a $120,000 project?" Trilling asked.

Skibbe said the fee covers work done on the grant application and the study and design for four units, "so we'll have plans on the shelf that we can use later."

When asked if the firm will charge additional fees if the village moves ahead with the other two units, Skibbe replied, "They would expect additional reimbursement at that point."

Trilling said he realized the firm had done a great deal of work, but added, "I don't know whether we have been taken advantage of."

"I'm just not comfortable with the way that they managed this process," he said. "The fees just sound exorbitant compared to the services that are rendered."