School committee approves ~ $43 million GMP for B.F. Norton school after PLA debate

The Cumberland School Committee on Oct. 9 approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the new B.F. Norton Elementary School, while committing to add a feasibility study on a project labor agreement (PLA) to the committee’s agenda in two weeks.

The committee voted to approve the GMP for Consigli Construction, with the figure listed in meeting materials as $43,000,279; the roll call passed 3–2, with Mr. Dean and Ms. Vogel voting no. Chair recorded a no vote during the roll call but the motion carried. Mr. Bacon recused from the discussion and vote because he is employed by a firm working on the project.

The GMP decision followed a construction update from Colliers senior project manager Ann Marie Andre, who reviewed milestones and the project timeline, including preliminary work this winter to install a loop road and a target of substantial completion and school opening in 2027. Colliers and the project team described site work now underway: temporary fencing, clearing, soil import and compaction, stormwater infiltration tunnels designed to handle a 100‑year storm, and ground improvements using ramped aggregate piers. Tom Beotmars of Keller explained those piers as columns of stone “to improve bearing capacity and reduce settlement.”

Public comment before the vote focused heavily on labor, apprenticeship and timeline risk. Labor leaders and trade representatives asked the committee to pause the GMP vote and hire an independent firm to study whether a PLA would reduce project risk. Anthony Cherry, identifying himself as assistant executive director at Builder Island, urged the committee to “table tonight’s vote” and commission a nonpartisan study. Justin Kelly of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades described a PLA as “a upfront quality assurance process,” arguing it can provide certainty of delivery and reduce labor‑related risk. Other speakers, including Joe Walsh (business manager, IBEW Local 99) and Michael Sabatoni (general secretary‑treasurer, LIUNA; president, Rhode Island Building Trades), repeated calls for a feasibility review and said prior studies favored PLAs on large public projects.

Committee members pressed project staff on costs, procurement and state reimbursement. Dr. Thornton said the district’s reimbursement base is 39.3 percent, and with three bonus points Cumberland’s expected reimbursement rises to about 54.3 percent; at that rate the district would receive roughly $23 million back from the state on the project’s total price. Project managers told the committee that approving the GMP would accelerate procurement: the team reported packages were partially locked (about 31 percent at last report) and would pick up speed once the GMP was approved.

Several committee members warned that delaying the GMP to run a feasibility study could affect the project schedule and risk missing the state’s reimbursement deadline. A Colliers representative said the team’s biggest concern was meeting the June 30, 2027 substantial‑completion milestone required for state reimbursement. Committee members acknowledged this tradeoff; the final vote approved the GMP but the committee chair said the PLA feasibility study would be placed on the next meeting agenda in two weeks.

What the committee approved tonight was the GMP award to Consigli Construction; committee documents provided to members list the GMP amount as $43,000,279. The committee also recorded a formal recusal by Mr. Bacon and heard a sequence of public comments urging a short independent feasibility review before finalizing major procurement steps.

Next steps: Colliers and the project team will continue procurement and site work under the approved GMP; the committee will consider a PLA feasibility study at its next meeting, per the chair’s statement.