Select Board approves clerk-of-works procurement steps, debates scope and cost of athletic complex phase 2

The Skowhegan Select Board on Aug. 26 approved starting a formal procurement for a clerk of the works to manage the town's Athletic Complex Phase 2, Part 2 work and approved a related environmental assessment, while members debated unpaid consultant hours, uneven bid detail and how to prioritize work inside a planned CDS/HUD grant.

Board members voted unanimously to put clerk-of-works services out to public solicitation with specifications that include timelines, activities and not-to-exceed amounts, directing staff to return with a purchasing form. The board previously voted, by the same margin, to accept a proposal from Wentworth Partners and Associates for continued clerk-of-works services but then asked that the role be opened to competitive bids to ensure clarity on fees and scope.

The discussion grew into a broader review of outstanding change orders and bid alternatives for lighting, foundations and fencing. Select Board members repeatedly pressed for clearer, itemized bids so the town and Recreation staff can finalize the CDS grant application that would unlock as much as $3 million in funding for the project.

What the board approved - A motion to authorize staff to issue an RFP for clerk-of-works services for Athletic Complex Phase 2, Part 2; vote: 5-0. The RFP will require timeline, activity descriptions and not-to-exceed amounts. (Motion: moved; second: recorded.) - Approval of Wentworth Partners and Associates' written proposal for continued clerk-of-works services (no amount specified in the proposal); vote recorded as 5-0. The board directed that a competitive RFP be issued before future invoicing or long-term commitments are finalized. - Approval of a Plymouth Engineering contract not to exceed $10,000 to complete the environmental assessment required for the athletic-complex project and CDS/HUD application; vote: 5-0. The board asked that the town manager be shown as the client on the agreement. - Approval of change order No. 12 to Ranger Construction and an expansion of funds not to exceed $44,012 from the Recreation Department capital-reserve account (ball field complex designation) to install six on-deck batter's boxes required for youth play; vote: 5-0.

Board and staff said the approvals are procedural steps needed to move the grant application and remaining construction forward, but the meeting exposed persistent questions about cost assumptions and which elements of the project are part of the town's currently funded work versus elements that would only proceed after grant funding arrives.

Consultant, project history and payment timing Steve (Wentworth Partners), who has worked on the project for more than a year, told the board he had been performing work without pay in the interim and said that no invoicing for future work would occur until the grant funds are in hand. "I've been working on phase 2 part 2 since last August," he said, describing months of project-management and design oversight. The board pressed for clearer contract language to define what past, present and future work would be billed if the town proceeds with the same consultant or with another vendor selected through the RFP.

Board members described repeated attempts to reconcile the construction bid packets with the alternatives the board now wants to evaluate. Selectman Randy said the project had become "too complicated" and urged a simpler, stepwise approach. Others, including Amber and Corey, said they supported a competitive process to protect taxpayers and to produce fixed, documented costs before approving more spending.

Change order and federal requirement for youth on-deck boxes The $44,012 change order approved on Aug. 26 covers six new on-deck batter's boxes. Staff said those enclosures are now a requirement for federally funded projects for 12-and-under play. Director of Recreation Denise explained the allocation will pay for fencing and installation at each dugout entrance. "These aren't batting cages," she said, describing them as four-sided on-deck enclosures placed between the dugout and the gate that leads onto the field.

Grant application and bid detail Town staff and select board members repeatedly asked for more precise alternate bids, especially for field lighting. The board heard competing estimates for lighting…