Select Board presses to rebid Tamworth transfer-station bathroom, debates USDA funds and recycling building scope

The Tamworth Select Board discussed next steps to complete a replacement bathroom at the town transfer station and the larger recycling-building project, including whether to accept U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding that would add federal requirements.

Richard (transfer-station project lead) said the board’s immediate priority is to “get the bathroom project, rebid and out on the street.” Engineers from Sanborn Head revised the plan to replace a heat pump with a simpler resistance heater to lower construction cost, and the board plans to reissue the request for bids soon. The staff also proposed a request for proposals (RFP) for a construction manager to solicit an alternate procurement approach; the RFP would ask for hourly fees and a manager’s estimate of subcontractor costs.

Board members and staff debated whether to accept USDA funding. Richard told the board that USDA involvement “would require a lot more hoops” and said he was “not interested” in shepherding the federal process for the bathroom project, which would increase design and procurement complexity. Others noted USDA funds could provide significant additional money — but with prevailing-wage and procurement rules that can increase total cost and administration time. A town staff member explained the USDA would reimburse roughly 35 percent of approved USDA-eligible costs, and that equipment can be an eligible USDA expense even if the board declines USDA funding for the building shell.

Some board members criticized the bathroom design as larger or more elaborate than needed; one member said the earlier estimate “came in at 250” (referring to a prior high bid). In response, staff said they would ask Sanborn Head to strip optional features and circulate a simpler set of documents to attract bidders. The board also discussed whether to combine the bathroom and recycling-building work into a single bid package if standalone bids drew no acceptable proposals.

Other operational items included continuing to explore off-the-shelf or prefabricated options for the recycling building, and the board’s plan to pursue a ground-level compactor and a second recycling building in future phases. Staff said the bathroom rebid and the construction-manager RFP could go out in roughly one to two weeks. No final decision to accept USDA funding for the recycling building was made at the meeting.

Why it matters: The bathroom and recycling building are capital projects funded by town and foundation money; procurement and funding choices will affect cost, schedule and the town’s ability to use federal grants.

Next steps: Staff will circulate revised bathroom specifications, issue the rebid and an RFP for a construction manager, and collect feedback from plan holders to increase bidder interest.