Committee reviews remaining consultant funding and building-code triggers for renovations

Committee members reviewed the status of remaining consultant funds and raised questions about how to authorize additional consultant work; they also discussed building-code thresholds that can convert routine repairs into projects requiring broader upgrades. Consultant funds: A committee member summarized a finance report showing approximately $19,006.81 remaining across consultant budgets; the meeting record shows differing itemizations (some funds held by the project manager and architect) and attendees agreed the office of finance or the town should confirm the current balance and any contractual limits on how the consultants may be used. The chair and one member said any re-engagement of consultants should be routed through the chair to avoid unanticipated overspending. Why this matters: The committee has limited consultant dollars remaining and agreed the best use is to have the committee do the heavy lifting of populating the matrix and then ask consultants for a review or to resolve roadblocks. Members stressed establishing a single contact to direct consultant requests. Building code and renovation triggers: Members discussed a “substantial improvement” threshold in building-code calculations that committee members said runs over a 36-month rolling period and can use a percentage of assessed value to determine whether certain interior work triggers additional code upgrades. Members noted that roof and window repairs are typically exempt from that percentage calculation, but interior work such as ceiling replacement or opening ceilings can trigger requirements like sprinklers or other upgrades. A member said a consultant-authored report prepared during earlier design work describes the issues in detail and that the committee will request the report for reference. Next steps: The chair asked Mark (town staff) to check finance records and report available consultant funds and contractual constraints. The committee agreed to limit individual requests to consultants and route any consultant work through the chair to manage costs. Members also asked staff to share the earlier consultant report that outlines which interventions would trigger broader code compliance obligations.