Building committee: paving, punch-list work continue; committee approves Turner hold use

The town's Building Committee heard updates on progress at the new police facility and approved allowing Turner to use internal hold funds to cover an extended time-frame charge.

Committee members were shown recent exterior photos of completed paving and striping and were told landscaping and final interior punch-list work remain. Project staff said column wraps, exterior painting and furnishing deliveries are largely complete and that the emergency medical staff were satisfied with ambulance access. "All the shrubs have been approved by the landscape architect, and now we're just waiting for delivery date," one project representative said.

Why it matters: the committee is moving the project from construction into final fit-out while reconciling pending change orders and contingency funds that cover unexpected costs.

Committee members reviewed the project's pending change order (PCO) log and a holds/contingency reconciliation. Staff reported several items moved from "pending" or "approximate" to "approved," and that the overall PCO log decreased by about $45,000 as final subcontractor numbers arrived. Temporary needs tied to schedule extensions — including extra months for temporary toilets and premium-time labor — were described as the main ongoing costs. Speakers said about $303,000 remained in the project's contingency and that the project team continues to reconcile owner allowances and contractor holds.

The meeting included a discussion of a state electrical-code requirement that, as written, would have required 50% of outlets in a room to be switched with the light. Project staff said they submitted a code-modification request and "we did receive a code modification from the state that we did not have to switch it because this is a public safety facility," which allowed the project team to delete that requirement for the facility.

As a formal action, the committee voted to authorize Turner to use internal hold funds for an extended time-frame charge. Project staff had described the contractor's extended general-conditions cost as about $64,900; during the meeting a committee member moved to approve the use of $64,000 of internal hold funds for that purpose and the committee approved the motion.

Discussion vs. decision: staff framed many items as cleanup and reconciliation rather than new scope; members asked for confirmation of where specific costs were encumbered and how remaining holds and contingencies would be applied. The motion to allow Turner to use internal hold funds passed with committee approval.

Next steps: staff will continue finalizing PCOs, place remaining deliveries and schedule landscaping and video/AV installs ahead of the planned move-in and cutover work.