Committee hears $36,000 overage request for Beacon Valley Road slope stabilization

Staff described an unexpected $36,000 overage on the Beacon Valley Road reconstruction related to slope stabilization between the road and Beacon Valley Brook.

Kevin, identified in the meeting as a staff member presenting the item, said the designer and contractor asked for additional funds after identifying a risk that a major storm could wash away the road. He said the Connecticut Department of Transportation agreed to have the project use contingency funds initially and that any overages would be brought back for approval. "They had an overage of $36,000, mainly due to the slip stabilization between the road and the brook," Kevin said.

Committee members discussed procedure. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approval of an allocation for the overage, but the chair noted the committee did not have a quorum that would allow formal action. A member moved to record the recommendation for the full board; a second was made, but the presenter and chair confirmed the item could not be approved by the committee at that meeting and would be referred upward for action.

No formal funding allocation or final vote on the overage was recorded in the meeting minutes; the recommendation will be reported to the full board for decision.

The packet provided to members did not specify additional details about the original contract amount, the contingency source, or the department that would carry the overage beyond the DOT's use of contingency funds; those specifics were described verbally but not recorded as a binding action during the meeting.

Looking ahead, staff indicated they would route the overage request to the full board and answer any questions members of that body may have.