Norwich committee approves geotechnical supplement and multiple construction alternates; projects move into active site work

The Norwich School Construction Committee on an evening meeting approved a professional services supplement for additional on‑site geotechnical work and took votes on several construction alternates as the city’s school projects move further into site work and construction.

The committee approved a professional services supplement (PSS) to bring SLR on site for additional geotechnical observation and consultation tied to upcoming rock cutting and blasting. The committee also approved alternates that add telescoping bleachers, replace deteriorated tennis‑court chain‑link fabric at Stanton, and substitute concrete curbing in place of asphalt in key circulation areas. Members discussed a digital message‑center alternate for Greenville and Stanton at length; the committee approved the infrastructure/construction alternative pathway that would put the sign(s) and related power/conduit on the project schedule rather than leave the work to a later, nonreimbursable purchase.

Why it matters: The decisions allocate roughly six‑figure supplements and alternates across school projects that together have multi‑million‑dollar budgets, shifting near‑term work into active construction and clarifying reimbursement eligibility for items the city wants completed as part of the state‑funded projects.

What the committee approved and why

Professional services supplement — SLR geotechnical A PSS to SLR for expanded field geotechnical services was approved as a not‑to‑exceed, lump‑sum supplement to support questions that will arise once rock faces are exposed during the Greenville site work. The committee members and staff explained the scope: observations during cutting/blasting, RFI reviews, shop‑drawing and submittal support, and on‑call geotechnical consultation if rock faces require special treatment (concrete infill, additional screening or other mitigation). The most recent estimate from SLR presented to the committee was roughly $128,000 before project markups (the documents presented showed a $147,000 figure inclusive of markups). Staff said the city also maintains an approximately $40,000 allowance for geotechnical consultant services under the base contract; the PSS covers additional on‑site effort anticipated during the rock‑cutting phase. The PSS was moved and seconded and…