Walpole committee hears near-complete middle school update; approves baseball-field repairs and vendor invoices

The Walpole School Building Committee on Zoom heard an update showing the Walpole Middle School construction is nearing completion and voted to move forward with repairs to the varsity baseball infield and to approve the July vendor invoice package.

The construction update said the site contractor is fully demobilized and only exterior landscaping and site-furnishing tasks remain. “He is fully demobilized. We have some landscape site furnishing items to finish up once the, paving of the street is complete,” a construction representative said, noting the landscaper is expected back in the next two weeks pending the town’s paving schedule.

The committee was told the project’s punch list has been reduced from 10 exterior items to three, with work expected to be wrapped up by August or early September depending on paving and final sign-offs. A project representative said the design team must verify and formally close items in Procore, the project-tracking system: “We get to say it's done, and then somebody has to actually verify that it's done and done well enough.”

Why it matters: committee members said finishing exterior work and closing the project is needed so the town can obtain the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) final closeout reimbursement. The committee noted MSBA is holding the final 5% reimbursement until project closeout is complete; members were told the project has reached a 95% reimbursement level from the MSBA.

Varsity baseball-field repairs and safety debate

The committee voted to approve a vendor proposal to renovate the varsity baseball infield and improve transitions where grass meets the clay to address trip hazards and unpredictable bounces. The work would be outside the existing Fontain/Tapay/Vertex contracts and was proposed as a contingency-funded change.

Jen Green moved to approve the baseball-field work at the middle school. After discussion and a second, the motion was adopted by roll call.

Committee discussion focused on two competing points: a safety justification for doing the work now and an objection to using construction contingency funds for work not originally included in the middle-school project. Jack Fisher, sitting in for Mark Green, said he did not think contingency funds appropriated for the middle-school project were an appropriate source: “I made it very clear. I don't think that this is an appropriate expenditure for contingency for the middle school to upgrade and do repairs on the… varsity baseball field.”

Nancy (school committee) said she supported using contingency for the repairs because of safety concerns and because the field is used regularly by the middle school: “When it comes down to safety, safety… we've already taken a direction of adding things that I think are beyond what I personally was gonna support, but I can't not support a safety thing.” She also said she was aware of injuries on the field.

Project representatives and the school principal said the work is expected to take 10 to 14 working days and that the infield and roughly 8–12 feet of turf around the clay edges would be replaced with sod to improve grades and water shedding. “Pending the schedule for the construction company, I would say 10 to 14 working days probably to finish the entire project,” said Steve Mayo, a construction/field contractor on the call. Principal Carrie Ruggiero said the school would accommodate lost field time and prioritize safety.

Committee members referenced an estimated cost and possible alternate funding sources. One member asked the administration to look for roughly $85,000–$87,000 from other funds rather than contingency; a committee member suggested the administration review other available revenues such as building rental receipts. The transcript does not specify the final contract amount or the exact contingency account balance applied; committee members referenced contingency in discussion but the precise remaining contingency balance was not clearly stated in the record.

Vendor invoice package and reimbursements

The committee also voted to approve the July vendor invoice package. The package presented included the Fontaine Recreation invoice (about $168,532) and multiple standard invoices (Vertex, Tapay), police details, paving and irrigation items. The base vendor package was presented as $303,550.67 and, with a few late invoices added, the updated total discussed on the record was $308,585.00. A roll-call vote approved the invoice package; one board member recorded an abstention during the tally.

Other notes and timeline

Committee members were told Washington Street paving is scheduled to be milled this week and paved next week; other sidewalks have been poured and are being finished. The committee was reminded that the first day of school is August 27 and that the committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16 as a hybrid session.

The committee also received an MSBA update noting the project has reached the 95% reimbursement milestone and that MSBA retains the final 5% until closeout is complete.

Ending: The committee adjourned after the votes and set the next meeting for Sept. 16.