Supervisors approve $41,888 in change orders and Dominion right‑of‑way for sheriff’s office renovation

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved four optional change orders totaling $41,888 for the county’s sheriff’s office renovation and authorized right‑of‑way agreements with Dominion to bring three‑phase power to the building.

Project engineer Ben Burton of Bay Design Group told the board the construction contract is $3,480,000 and that applications for payment show roughly $2.4 million paid to date — about 70 percent of the contract. Burton said site work is about 85 percent complete and that the project’s projected substantial completion remains in “early April of 2025.”

The four change orders approved Monday included: optional restroom upgrades for two mass restrooms (about $23,000) after crews found existing partitions and configurations unsuitable for long‑term use; electrical and IT improvements adding roughly two dozen outlets and modifying controls; stabilization and finishing of some administrative drywall where partition walls were found to be built on inadequate framing; and refinishing 14 existing interior doors (estimated $9,554) with a possible $462 credit if two closet doors are excluded. Burton said the four items total $41,888 and that the full set of approved change orders to date amounts to roughly $218,895, or “just a little over 6% of the original contract.”

Burton also described an electrical plan that requires a transformer to provide 240‑volt single‑phase service for a washer/dryer, a cooking stove and a hot‑water heater inside the building. He said the transformer will be installed ahead of the internal circuits and that the contractor expects it to handle the planned loads. The board asked staff to confirm equipment specifications and that the electrical work will meet needed capacities.

County staff asked the board to authorize the Dominion (VEPCO) right‑of‑way agreements so three‑phase service can be delivered without delaying the schedule. Burton said postponing Dominion approvals would likely push the completion date.

Motion and vote: Supervisor Wayne Jesse made the motion to approve the four change orders and authorize execution of the Dominion right‑of‑way agreements; Supervisor Randy Crittendon seconded. The roll call showed votes of yes from Wayne Jesse, Reggie Williams, Bill Harris and Randy Crittendon; Supervisor Don Harris voted no. Outcome: approved (4–1).

Background and next steps: Burton said the project team expects to present pavement upgrade change orders at a future meeting; he estimated one potential pavement change order at roughly $130,000 and noted a retaining‑wall item still under review. Substantial completion will be followed by a final punch list and final completion roughly two weeks later. Staff said the county IT team and the contractor are coordinating interior systems and that HRSD infrastructure to serve the site is active.

The board did not alter the project’s overall schedule. Staff will return with any additional recommended change orders, final right‑of‑way instruments and an updated schedule if approvals or vendor availability change the expected April substantial completion.