Montpelier council approves Stevens & Associates contract for flood-elevation design

The Montpelier City Council on Wednesday approved a contract with Stevens and Associates to finish architectural design for three home-elevation projects funded by a State of Vermont grant that the city described as $900,000 total, or $300,000 per project.

The contract covers the architectural portion of the design work and supplements an existing civil and structural contract with DeWolf. City staff said the contract adds a mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) engineering visit and notes—an added service that increases the proposal by about $10,749 compared with Stevens’ original January 31 submission.

The projects are funded through a state grant; city staff said the grant provides $900,000 overall with $300,000 allocated per project. Josh (city staff), who led the presentation, said Stevens and Associates will perform an on-site kickoff meeting in the predesign phase, a virtual meeting to review preferred conceptual designs, a 50% design review, and a 90% design review. He told the council the design phase in the Stevens proposal is 12 weeks from contract execution and staff expects designs completed by July if the contract is executed now.

Homeowners participating in the program and council members raised questions about contractor availability and the scope of eligible work. Lisa Etcenova, a participating property owner, said her entire first floor is gone and described the elevation as only one piece of a larger renovation. “My entire First Floor is gone,” Etcenova said. She asked for clearer coordination so homeowners can plan for related work—chimney removal or relocation, interior rebuilds, and other work she said may cost far more than the grant covers.

Josh said the elevation grant is limited to elevation-related tasks and that the program’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) lists eligible items such as disconnecting and reconnecting utilities, construction of entryways, landings and handrails, and the construction of a utility room if one is not available. He told homeowners that work beyond the elevation scope is the property owner’s responsibility and that homeowners had executed MOUs describing eligible and ineligible costs.

Councillors pressed for homeowner inclusion early in the process so architects and any contractors chosen for interior or finish work can coordinate with the elevation designs. Councilor Sal Alfano noted the practical reality that homeowners often want to make long-delayed changes when a house is elevated, and urged early contractor engagement. Councilor Bill (last name not specified) said approving the architectural contract is the necessary next step to bring architects on board and begin the homeowner-design conversations.

On procurement and scheduling, staff said two elevation contractors contacted—Rogers and Messier—had open slots in September, and that Messier performs elevation-only work while Rogers also handles demolition and foundations. Staff said the city is continuing to pursue cost estimates from those firms and may evaluate procurement options, including sole-source authority, because contractor availability is limited.

Councilor Jim (last name not specified) disclosed a familial relationship with a person tied to the project (Lisa Edson Navo) and offered to recuse if any colleague had an objection; the council agreed there was no conflict requiring recusal. Resident Steve Whitaker asked about missing materials in the meeting packet (including an MOU) and urged the council to include contingency planning to protect homeowners if projects encounter problems.

The council approved the Stevens and Associates contract by unanimous voice vote after a motion by Councilor Ben Doyle, seconded by Mayor Jack. The vote was recorded in the meeting as unanimous; the council did not request a roll call.

The contract approval authorizes Stevens and Associates to proceed with the architectural design work, including the MEP subcontractor site visit and design notes required for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and ASCE 24 compliance. Staff said next steps include executing the contract, scheduling the on-site kickoff with homeowners, and continuing procurement discussions for elevation contractors and general contractors for follow-on work.

The council spent the remainder of the short special meeting on brief reports and an obituary acknowledgement before adjourning at 1:54 p.m.