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Rutland Town approves final payment to VMS, closes public safety building contract
Summary
The Rutland Town Select Board approved release of the final retainage to VMS and accepted the architect’s signoff, closing out construction of the town's public safety building despite a roughly $272,000 cost overrun funded from town accounts.
Rutland Town Select Board on Sept. 9 voted to approve the contractor's final pay request for VMS, releasing the remaining retainage and formally closing the public safety building construction contract. The board said the payment will come from the town's capital improvement account.
Board members said architect Ed Clark has signed off on the work. Select Board Chair Kurt Hathaway said the project met the architect's expectations and recommended release of the final payment.
The payment completes a project that exceeded its original construction bid. Select board discussion recorded an original bid near $5,148,000 and described an overrun of about $272,000, bringing the town's total construction spend to approximately $5.4 million. The board said a $250,000 contingency was used during the project and that the transfer switch and some additional electrical work accounted for the roughly $23,000 that pushed costs beyond the contingency. One deletion of concrete curb stops along the west side produced a $1,500 deduction from the final payment.
Town staff said they separated out the transfer-switch and additional electrical charges so those could be paid earlier; the remaining contract balance represents the release of retainage after the architect's approval. Carrie Clark, town clerk and treasurer, was asked to process the paperwork so VMS can be paid.
The discussion also noted soft costs and permitting fees are still being finalized; town staff are compiling final numbers related to engineering, permits and other non-construction items and will file any additional paperwork required by the Vermont Division of Fire Safety. The board recorded the vote to approve the orders that included the VMS payment as unanimous (5-0).
The board did not adopt any change to its policy on contingencies or bonding at the meeting; members said they will keep the capital improvement account and bond figures under review as staff provide the final accounting for the project.
