The Permanent Public Building Committee voted Tuesday to approve contractor evaluation scores for the Emery Grover project, designate an external owner’s project manager for the Howard School renovation and approve multiple vendor invoices and a change order.

The votes, taken by roll call during the Jan. 6 meeting held under the governor’s emergency remote‑meeting order, cleared contractor evaluations and payments that committee members said were needed to keep several town building projects moving while staff resolve remaining punch‑list and warranty issues.

Most contested items were procedural. The committee unanimously approved the Emery Grover contractor evaluation scores and several invoices and change orders for commissioning, mechanical replacements and design services. The committee also accepted a subcommittee recommendation naming Lyro Hill as the external owner’s project manager (OPM) for the Howard School work and authorized Lyro Hill and other consultants’ invoices.

Votes at a glance

- Emery Grover contractor evaluation scores — Approved. Motion by Chair Richard Green; second by Michael (surname not specified). Roll call: Stuart Chandler — Aye; Lynn Geninger — Aye; Bob Dermody — Aye; George Kent — Aye; Roycea Foletti — Aye; Michael — Aye; Anne — Aye; Sheryl (surname not specified) — Aye; Chair Richard Green — Aye. (All present voted yes.)

- Change order PSS #2, RG VanderWeil — Approve additional commissioning services in the amount of $5,800. Motion by Chair Richard Green; seconded. Roll call: unanimous aye.

- Invoice, RG VanderWeil — Approve payment for November 2024 commissioning services in the amount of $4,260. Motion by Chair Richard Green; seconded. Roll call: unanimous aye.

- Enterprise Equipment Company requisitions (Elliott/RTU work) — The committee approved two requisitions described in the meeting as requisition #14 (listed as $12,767.50) and requisition #15 (amount as stated in the meeting transcript was unclear); the chair treated the two as a single motion for a total the transcript records as $96,593.90. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye. (Transcript-listed second line amount was unclear; aggregate total recorded by the committee: $96,593.90.)

- GGD Consulting Engineers invoices — Approve $4,000 (Broadmeadow, November 2024) and $2,357.52 (Elliott, November 2024); aggregate $6,357.52. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye.

- PM consultant selection: designate Lyro Hill as external OPM for Howard School — Motion to accept the PM consultant selection subcommittee report and designate Lyro Hill as the external OPM. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye.

- Util, Inc. invoice (library young adult area) — Approve October 2024 services, $19,700, charged to architect budget. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye.

- Lyro Hill invoice (library cost estimating) — Approve November 2024 cost estimating services, $9,072.50, charged to miscellaneous budget. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye.

- ViewShot invoice (theater audio/lighting work for Newman Theater) — Approve December 2024 services, $8,000, charged to designer budget. Motion carried on roll call: unanimous aye.

What the votes mean

Committee members framed most approvals as routine payments and contract housekeeping meant to close out work or keep projects on schedule while staff pursue outstanding warranty and punch‑list items. Several approvals reduced retainage held on projects to permit partial payment, while keeping funds reserved to cover any unresolved issues.

Several motions recorded in the meeting used shorthand (for example, identifying seconds and some committee members by first name only). Where amounts or identifiers were unclear in the transcript, the committee recorded aggregate totals (noted above) and directed staff to proceed with processing.

Ending

Committee members said the votes allow staff to continue close‑out work on the Emery Grover and RTU projects and to move forward on design and cost‑estimating work for the Howard School and library projects. Additional updates on punch‑list items, warranty work and MSBA schedule milestones are expected at future PBBC meetings.