Select Board approves value-engineering changes to fire/highway upgrade after delays tied to fuel tank and heating work

A project manager presented PCOs O12 through O15 for the town’s fire/highway upgrade and explained why the board should approve several amendments and credits intended to reduce overall cost and resolve delays.

Staff said an eight-week delay in heating the building — tied to owner responsibility for a fuel tank and subsequent work to connect the fuel system — materially delayed work and produced schedule-related costs. The presenter said estimated delay costs ran about $34,000 a month and that clawing back alternates and making selective deletions would reduce the town’s exposure.

PCO 12 removed an alternate for mini piles around the new apparatus building; staff said there was insufficient engineering to justify the mini piles and removing the alternate produced a credit of about $195,650. PCO 13 eliminated a second-floor kitchen in the older fire building (credit about $33,619). Another PCO covered a contractor-paid scope to strip insulation (approximately $11,275) to avoid a further week of delay; staff said paying the contractor for this work would reduce the overall delay costs. A small PCO (015) covered an errors-and-omissions amendment (~$263) tied to the engineering contract.

Staff said the committee and contractor had performed value engineering and that contingency funding had been used at the outset; the PCO package represented an effort to keep the overall project on budget. The board moved, seconded and approved the change orders as presented.

The board also voted to discontinue a standing 3:00 p.m. posting for building-committee contractor meetings, saying the committee’s current schedule and oversight made the standing meeting unnecessary.

Staff recommended continuing to document contractor performance and to monitor contingency and additional small amendments as the project proceeds.