Council OKs Oak Point contract for town-hall renovation, approves three-year audit contract and accepts Meadow Pond Road as town road

The South Berwick Town Council on a unanimous voice vote authorized the town manager to sign a contract with Oak Point Associates to lead design and construction‑administration work for the town‑hall renovation project.

Councilors also voted to enter a three‑year audit contract with auditor Peter Hall and accepted Meadowpond Road Phase 2 as an accepted town road after a public hearing and a brief discussion about classification of the street.

Oak Point presentation and contract

Oak Point Associates’ principal architect, Tyler Barterm, and architect Peter McGovern walked the council through the firm’s proposed owner‑architect contract, which follows the AIA B133 form tailored for an owner, architect and construction manager (CM) delivery. Barterm said the contract is broken into 13 sections that cover initial information, the architect’s responsibilities, the submission schedule (schematic design through construction documents and administration), insurance, claims and dispute procedures, termination, compensation and scope attachments. He emphasized that “nothing would be done verbally. Everything would be done as a written change” and that changes would be documented through construction change directives and change orders.

Barterm told councilors the firm carried robust professional liability and other insurance and that section 11 of the contract spells out compensation by milestone. He said Oak Point’s basic and supplemental services…