Selectmen table action on $82,000 in athletic-complex change orders amid funding concerns
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Summary
Clerk of the works and rec staff proposed a $49,960 irrigation change order and a roughly $32,000 electrical design fee for the town athletic complex; Selectmen deferred decisions and requested clearer funding and grant-status information after debate about a multi‑million-dollar shortfall.
Skowhegan Selectmen heard a lengthy briefing on the status of the town athletic complex and tabled two proposed change orders: a roughly $50,000 irrigation installation package and an electrical-engineering package of about $32,000.
Steve (clerk of the works) told the board the sprinkler and pump proposal—previously budgeted higher—had been negotiated down and combined with contractor coordination to arrive at a change-order request of roughly $49,960 (including markups). He said the full electrical design is needed now to size the CMP (utility) connection, size pump electricals and ensure work can proceed without rework; that design bid is approximately $32,000 plus the engineering firm’s markup.
Selectmen did not approve the change orders at the meeting. Members pressed staff for clearer accounting: a town official and trustees reported that, when all pending bills and soft costs are added, the capital account tied to the project shows a net shortfall. Participants said previously estimated phase-by-phase budgets were exceeded by site work, retaining structures and soft costs (engineering, design and permitting). Several board members and staff said they remain uncertain about the status and timing of a large federal/state reimbursement (referenced repeatedly as a possible $3.3 million reimbursement), and that uncertainty affects cash flow planning.
Numbers discussed on the record included project-phase estimates and totals summarized by a selectman: the Carroll Associates phase and later bids produced a roughly $1.27 million figure for Carl Wright Field; additional work and site costs raised the round‑to‑complete baseball field estimate to about $2.67 million; a separate multipurpose field phase was discussed at about $3.6 million; a final phase (pickleball/tennis) at about $3.2 million; and a long‑term reserve to replace artificial fields was suggested at roughly $150,000 per decade. Those figures together produced a total program cost in the range of $11 million discussed by participants.
Speakers and town finance staff warned that soft costs—engineering, consultant fees and previously authorized change orders—are part of the shortfall. Town Treasurer/Deputy also explained the town’s capital-reserve tabs and said the ledgered balances show some funds but also existing pending authorizations; she asked that the board not authorize expenditures the town does not yet have available. Several selectmen urged staff to get firm answers from the awarding agency about the CDS grant status, match requirements and reimbursement timing before authorizing additional spending.
Motion and outcome: A selectman moved to table the two change orders; the board agreed to defer further action until the next meeting and to collect updated documents on grant status, contract balances, pending bills, and the engineering scope.
Why it matters: The athletic complex is a multi‑phase capital program with substantial cost and long-term maintenance implications. Decisions to add irrigation, electrical infrastructure, or pursue additional phases will carry multi‑year budget consequences and may require voter approval for larger financing. Board members emphasized finishing the baseball field to serve youth programs while avoiding commitments that exceed available cash or the town’s risk tolerance.
What’s next: Staff committed to provide the board with a consolidated sources-and-uses worksheet, current contract balances, the latest federal/state grant status and an itemized list of pending change orders before the next meeting so the board can consider the change orders with clearer fiscal context.
