By Lauren McSherry

Los Altos Hills councilmembers involved in building the new $4.2 million town hall were tight-lipped about the project’s increased price tag during a special council meeting, Feb. 9.

Councilmembers discussed the higher-than-expected cost of the new town hall’s audiovisual and broadcasting system, but

refrained from saying exact numbers orally, referring to an unlabeled cost estimate chart. The estimated cost of the system is around $200,000.

That includes equipment, installation, production lighting and design costs, City Manager Maureen Cassingham said. The project is going out to bid and could come in below the estimated amount, she added.

The new town hall committee budgeted about $50,000 for the system and recently received an $80,000 grant from Comcast that will help offset the expense. To make up the balance, council and committee members discussed dipping into the $200,000 contingency fund, half of which has already been spent on minor unexpected construction costs.

Project manager Tony Vierra of TBI Construction reminded them the fund is only for unforeseen circumstances, such as delays brought on by inclement weather.

“The fund itself and what’s available is lower than what I’ve seen before for similar projects, which just means we’ve got to be extra careful,” he told the Town Crier.

The cost of the audiovisual system is not included in the $4.2 million construction budget that Vierra manages. It’s an additional item that the council has to evaluate.

The system could be paid for through money left over in the contingency fund, city reserves or fund raising, Cassingham said.