Lakeville committee approves three change orders, hears curb‑cut, utilities and invoice updates

The Lakeville Police Station and Building Committee voted unanimously at its July meeting to approve three construction change orders and to pay a set of project invoices after receiving a construction progress update.

Committee members heard that the police station’s main foundation is nearly complete and that the project is running about a week ahead of schedule. "I'd say they're about a week ahead of schedule," said Mike, a project staff member overseeing daily construction activity. He said site work and delivery of fabricated steel — "the steel is actually sitting in Freetown right now" — are expected to accelerate framing once the slab is ready.

The committee was shown the monthly budget update and was told there have been no changes to the overall budget since the previous meeting and no draws on contingency this month. Material testing returned stronger-than-expected concrete PSI values, and staff reported that testing and inspections so far have not revealed unresolved issues.

Change orders and vote The committee reviewed and approved three change orders, described by project staff and the architect, that were identified during submittal and early construction work: - Furnishing and installing faucets and shower valves, $8,393.15 — the manufacturer and model were not specified on the drawings and were caught in the submittal process. - Furnishing and installing wall‑hung sinks (two single‑use public bathrooms and two other single‑use restrooms), $5,336.35 — the millwork shown in earlier documents had been removed as a cost‑saving measure but the sink fixtures were not updated on the drawings. - Coordination work around an underground fiber line during trenching, $2,367.75 (reduced from an original estimate of about $4,500). Project staff said the mechanical engineer omitted manufacturer/model information for the shower valves and faucets and that contractors reduced the original contractor prices during negotiations. Committee members moved to accept the change orders and the motion carried unanimously.

Water, utilities and curb cut Staff reported that the new water line to the site is installed and the contractor is scheduling a sprinkler flow test to confirm pressure and pipe sizing for the sprinkler design. Temporary power and utility poles are in place and communications and E‑911 coordination remain active items.

A longer discussion focused on the curb cut and permit history for the adjacent park entrance. Project staff said a curb‑cut permit application for the park was filed in 2002 but never closed; the as‑built condition deviates from that older application. Because the police station application is for an adjacent parcel, MassDOT asked the town to revisit the park entrance and possibly make adjustments. Staff said they expect the police station curb cut itself can be permitted as proposed but that resolving the park entrance could involve minor reconstruction or paperwork. They gave a preliminary illustration that small adjustments might cost on the order of $5,000–$6,000 but warned the figure “could go considerably higher” if drainage or other issues require more work. Committee members discussed whether any work would be charged to the police station construction budget if it becomes a change order.

Other items - Propane: early sizing work indicates a roughly 1,000‑gallon tank is likely; staff is collecting bids and confirming siting and pads. - Countertops: staff proposed switching two plastic laminate countertops (kitchen and an administrative workroom) to solid surface (Corian) for durability and asked the committee to authorize obtaining pricing; staff estimated a modest material cost increase and will return with quotes. - Gate operator, signage and closeout documents: specifications are being prepared and the project team is collecting vendor quotes; site infrastructure for a future road sign and lighting at the curb cut is already on the plans. - Ramco materials: staff reported receiving insurance documentation and will coordinate a site location for stored materials with on‑site screening and fencing.

Invoices and payment The committee approved a batch of invoices presented at the meeting, including the general contractor invoice and invoices for owner’s project management, water main oversight, builders risk insurance and material testing. The group also approved a $1,000 payment to Verizon to start engineering work for communications, which staff said Verizon requires to begin its engineering review. The motion to approve invoices (as listed at the meeting) carried unanimously.

Procedural notes and next meeting Committee members approved the June meeting minutes at the start of the session. The committee discussed the change‑order approval thresholds in its charge and confirmed that the committee can approve change orders up to $25,000, with a smaller sub‑group authorized for lower thresholds. The committee set its next regular meeting for Aug. 1.

The meeting record shows committee members asked staff to return with firm pricing where staff proposed optional upgrades (for example, the solid‑surface countertops) before any additional approvals are made.