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Walpole School Building Committee approves August vendor invoices, hears final project closeout updates
Summary
At a Sept. 16 hybrid meeting, the Walpole School Building Committee approved the August vendor invoice package and additional police-detail invoices and was told onsite work — including athletic-field change orders — will be finished in about two weeks as teams complete punch-list items and MSBA closeout paperwork proceeds.
WALPOLE, Mass. — The Walpole School Building Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 16, approved a $609,148.44 August vendor invoice package and separately approved $16,009.37 in additional police-detail invoices while receiving an update that remaining site and athletic-field change-order work is expected to be finished in about two weeks.
The approvals came at a hybrid meeting in which Joel, a project representative for the middle school project, told the committee crews would return to the site the following day to finish fencing, mesh safety netting, bullpens, bleachers and final seeding. "All that work gets back underway tomorrow," Joel said, adding he expected about a two-week duration to complete that last scope of change-order work.
Why it matters: The project is moving toward final closeout with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Committee members discussed contingency balances and outstanding contract totals as the team prepares final invoices and MSBA paperwork that must be completed before final reimbursements and audits.
Project status and punch list Joel reported that the original scope of work is complete and that the last change-order tasks — primarily athletic-field items — will resume immediately. He said one exterior repair on Punch List 1 had been completed and documented in Procore, and that the team is down to 43 punch-list items awaiting verification: four inside the building and 39 site items. Joel said Warner Larson (landscape architect) and Mitch Engineering (civil engineer) will verify the site items before closeout.
Contract and contingency figures discussed at the meeting included: - An owner-controlled construction contingency of $1,000,098 currently available to commit. - A contractor-side (GMT/Montaigne) construction contingency of about $531,000 that has not been spent and that staff does not anticipate using. - Fontaine's contract balance shown at roughly $2.1 million including retainage (about $1.8 million excluding retainage); staff said about $1.5 million remains uncommitted overall as the project winds toward final accounting.
Committee members sought clarification on timing. Joel and other staff noted that while onsite work could be complete in roughly two weeks, paperwork and requisition reviews would continue for another month or more before retainage releases and final payments. "We can probably give you a better number next month once we get finalized," Joel said.
Vendor invoices and votes at a glance The committee considered and voted on two vendor-related items during the meeting: - August vendor invoice package (VIP) — $609,148.44. Motion moved by Ms. Giositz; second by Mr. Krakus. Vote: 9 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain (Jeff Fisher voted no; Jack Fisher abstained). Outcome: approved. - Additional police-detail invoices (Norfolk Sheriff and Walpole Police Department) — $16,009.37. Motion moved by Mr. Krakus; second by Ms. Gallivan. Vote: 10 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain (Jack Fisher). Outcome: approved.
MSBA closeout and re‑appropriation timing Staff reported the MSBA has signaled reimbursement pauses on PR-14 after the project reached a 95% threshold; the project team is assembling commissioning documents, final invoices, and other closeout paperwork required for the MSBA final audit. Patrick (town/project staff) said any decisions about re‑appropriating unspent contingency funds would follow the MSBA closeout and final audit process and could occur several years later. "Any actions that would be taken on the money for reappropriation probably wouldn't take place until after this MSBA closeout process and after the final audit's completed—like three, four years from now," Patrick said.
Other details Committee members confirmed that some interior items remain, including installation of lockers and associated electrical work; Joel said those lockers could be delivered and installed within days. The committee also noted that certain athletic-field and town-managed paving work is handled separately by Parks & Recreation and the town's paving schedule, and that those items affect final project payout timing.
The committee set Oct. 14 as the next meeting and said that could be the project's final School Building Committee meeting pending completion of outstanding work and financial closeout.
