CIAC tables Atkinson Pool supplemental article pending April 19 bid results; staff says total project could approach $3.3 million

The Town of Sudbury Capital Improvement Advisory Committee on Monday voted to table Article 34, a supplemental capital request related to Atkinson Pool, until the town receives revised bids on April 19. The motion to table passed on a roll call of five yes votes with two members absent.

Committee members were briefed on a retooled procurement after initial bids on the pool renovation came back higher than expected. Sandra, speaking for the project team, said the retooled request is intended to reduce contractor risk by turning some work items into unit-price alternatives and by clarifying performance specifications. "The way we had written the scope of work was a performance spec, and it put a lot of risk on the contractor," she said.

Staff described several numbers and uncertainties. At various points staff said the supplemental request currently in the CIAC materials is about $429,000 (described as "an additional 429,000 in that article") and elsewhere referred to an approximate $750,000 figure for a retooled article. Sandra and others explained prior appropriations and contingency carryover complicate totals: earlier appropriations and contingencies for the pool project remain available and, when combined with the supplemental ask and an identified $350,000 overrun from the recent bids, staff said the total cost to complete the work could be around $3.3 million. "The money that I'm currently asking for is, an additional 429,000 in that article," Sandra told the committee.

Committee members pressed staff on what the work will accomplish and on remaining risk. Staff said the town's earlier work did not stop the pool leak: "No. And that is why we need to do the work because when we did the original work, we ran out of both time and money," Sandra said. Divers and dye testing have not definitively located all leaks; staff said they believe the skimmers are a likely source and the retooled bid will replace two skimmers and include unit pricing for additional skimmer replacements.

The proposed supplemental funds include a portion (described in briefing material) to add HVAC improvements in the pool enclosure — de-stratification fans and a rigid ducting change described as a "thermoduct" — and to restore deck tile work the project team had scaled back in prior value-engineering. Sandra said the de-stratification/thermoduct work and additional deck tile repair are among the items represented in the supplemental ask and contingency planning.

Because multiple key costs remain unresolved until the April 19 bid opening, CIAC members recommended tabling the article so the committee can review the firm unit prices and alternates before making a recommendation to the Select Board and Finance Committee. The committee also scheduled a follow-up meeting to finalize the report that will go to town officials.

Staff repeatedly warned that, even with the work, there is no absolute guarantee that all leaks will be found before construction. "It's conceivable we get all through putting in 3 point something million dollars, and we still have leaks," Richard said during the discussion; staff affirmed the proposed scope is intended as a substantial infrastructure fix but acknowledged some forensic uncertainty remains.

The committee voted to table Article 34 and will reconvene after the April 19 bid results to decide whether to recommend the article for the town meeting warrant.