Bill would require owner's project manager be engaged at time of school‑building‑aid application, proponents say

Senate Bill 209, introduced April 15, would require any school district applying for state school building aid for large-scale capital projects to retain an owner's project manager (OPM) at the time of application rather than waiting until state aid is approved.

Senator Daryl Abbas, sponsor of the bill, said the measure responds to experience in towns that completed multi‑million‑dollar renovations under budget and on schedule after involving experienced project managers from the start. "When you're submitting a thoughtful, well‑reasoned application, you really need to have that project manager from the beginning," Abbas said, adding that early engagement can help ensure grant applications match what will ultimately be built.

Opponents described potential added administrative and financial burdens. Alex Katrubas of the Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire said a requirement to retain an OPM before an application is approved would force districts to commit funds before obtaining state aid, potentially limiting flexibility and delaying projects. "Requiring an owner's project manager at the time of application will force school districts to allocate resources before securing funding," Katrubas testified, and he suggested raising any threshold or clarifying when the OPM must be engaged.

Caitlin Ferner, a member of a district planning and building committee, told the committee that cost estimates for retaining an OPM can range from roughly $10,000 to $50,000 and that districts should not have to assume that expense before a grant decision. "An OPM should be retained in order to be awarded the aid, but not just to be able to apply and find out how much they would be eligible for," she said.

Senator Abbas and others said the bill would apply to major projects — not routine maintenance — and argued that the OPM commonly helps with accurate scope and cost estimates, reducing change orders and protecting constrained state funds. Supporters suggested narrow technical amendments, such as higher project thresholds, to reduce the burden on smaller projects.

The Associated General Contractors recommended increasing any statutory threshold (for when OPM retention is mandatory) well above $1 million, noting current law already requires OPM oversight for awarded projects of a certain size. The committee heard requests for additional drafting to clarify when an OPM must be retained, whether a retainer is required at application, and whether a higher dollar threshold (for example $5 million) would be more appropriate.

Ending: The committee asked staff to gather more information about current practice, typical OPM costs and state rules that currently apply to projects awarded building aid. No decision was reported at the hearing.