West Haven ARPA committee approves dozens of invoices and change orders for parks, city hall and firehouse study

Chair Jerry Burrow, presiding over the West Haven ARPA Committee, led the group through a series of motions March 4 to approve vendor invoices and construction change orders tied to capital and community projects funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations.

The committee approved payments and contract changes covering playground resurfacing and drainage at Painter Park, abatement and window work at City Hall, construction invoices for the Allentown Firehouse Annex and related site work, a food-bank program payment to Vertical Church, security-guard invoices for a warming center, professional- services invoices and a portion of a citywide firehouse siting study. Most motions were approved by voice vote with the chair announcing “motion carries.”

Why this matters: The committee’s approvals release ARPA funds committed to capital improvements and short-term services tied to public safety and shelters, enabling work already underway (for example, the Allentown Firehouse Annex garage and Painter Park construction) to continue toward completion.

The most significant items in dollar terms included a $66,215 application payment to the contractor listed as “Diversity Group” for ongoing Allentown work; a $37,500 invoice for bleacher replacement; $23,714.73 to Vertical Church for a food-bank program; and multiple City Hall abatement and window-related invoices and change orders (Hoffman invoice $19,904.50; change order for two additional doors $12,200; demo/change orders and related contractor adjustments). The committee also approved smaller invoices for material testing, architect and inspection services and security staffing.

Committee action and discussion: Chair Jerry Burrow introduced each invoice or change order, asked for motions and recorded seconds. Discussion was typically brief and procedural; a few items drew additional scrutiny. For one materials-testing invoice for the Allentown garage, the chair said overtime charges would be deducted from the builder’s next payout and the committee later approved a separate $3.60 deduction related to that invoice. A set of voice-cleanup invoices was approved while the chair abstained from that particular vote. Committee members confirmed that some work (for example, window abatement) is essentially complete aside from a small number of outstanding items such as two doors yet to be installed.

The committee voted to approve an $8,500 installment for an ESCI study to examine optimal locations for the city’s three fire districts, a study Chair Burrow said was requested to evaluate siting “as though no firehouses existed right now” and to look at unifying the three districts’ service footprint.

Votes at a glance (selected actions recorded in the meeting record): - Approve Carmody legal invoice, $4,034.08 — approved. - Accept minutes of Feb. 4, 2025 regular meeting (waive reading) — approved. - Painter Park drainage invoice, $2,485 — approved. - Painter Park landscaping/resurface invoice, $2,400 — approved. - Painter Park playground resurfacing (Ivy League Landscaping), $9,370 — approved. - Vertical Church invoice (food bank), $23,714.73 — approved. - Pennoni invoice (City Hall windows pre-abatement review), $1,900 — approved. - Hoffman invoice (abatement work), $19,904.50 — approved. - Change order: two additional City Hall doors, $12,200 — approved. - Demo change orders for two doors (Alloy and related contractors), $7,361 and negotiated per-door adjustments — approved. - Coastal Material Testing Lab invoice (Allentown garage), $2,307; committee approved and later approved a separate $3.60 deduction to be taken from the builder’s payout — approved. - Russell Dawson (architect of record, Allentown) invoice, $600 — approved. - Diversity Group application/payment (Allentown construction), $66,215 — approved. - Antonacci invoice (Westshore architect of record), $3,697.50 — approved. - Bleacher replacement invoice, $37,500 (total job approximately $125,000) — approved. - Voice-cleanup invoices (two items totaling $780); chair abstained from that vote — approved. - Century Protective Services security invoices for warming center, $7,895.74 and $8,925.18 — approved. - ESCI firehouse siting study installment, $8,500 (part of approximately $33,000 contract) — approved.

What was not decided: The committee did not change ARPA programmatic priorities at the meeting and most approvals were for invoices or change orders already tied to previously approved projects. Several items noted by staff remain outstanding (for example, two City Hall doors awaiting installation and final closeout documents for a child development roof project).

Looking ahead: Staff said more invoices and invoices tied to cameras and electrical work are forthcoming, and the chair said the committee will receive future invoices for the change orders approved at this meeting. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.