Councilors and the project team told the Nov. 25 meeting that the town-hall renovation’s 95% guaranteed maximum price (GMP) exceeds the voter-approved budget and that the town faces choices about scope, delay or seeking additional funding.

Project architect Peter McGovern and construction manager Mike Beam laid out the schedule and cost evolution: Oak Point Associates completed design phases and submitted 95% documents; Charter Brothers reported a market-driven cost increase that left the 95% GMP roughly $382,000 over the original plan. “We were about, coming in about $1,100,000 over the budget” at an earlier stage of estimates, Charter Brothers said, and value-management work reclaimed much of that gap but the final GMP remained above the budget.

The project team described cost drivers including increased HVAC pricing, a full modernization of the elevator and more robust roofing and thermal work for an older masonry building. They warned of risks tied to delay: bid expirations, cost escalation, and the possibility that key subcontractors take other work if awards are postponed.

To avoid delivering a reduced project, the project team recommended a modest owner-controlled contingency drawn from town funds if needed. Council directed staff to revise the special-town-meeting warrant language to specify an owner-controlled contingency and scheduled a formal public hearing for Dec. 9, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., and a special town meeting for Dec. 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., to consider asking up to $750,000 from town funds (the project team described $750,000 as roughly a 10% contingency on the overall project cost). The council passed motions to schedule the hearing and to approve the warrant language for the special meeting by a 5-0 vote.

Councilors pressed for clarity on funding sources and safeguards: staff said interest earned on the bond proceeds and other town-hall designated funds would be used before tapping the undesignated fund, and that withdrawals from any owner-controlled contingency would require council approval through established change-order and reporting processes. Project staff and council agreed on continuing aggressive value-engineering and on providing public information sessions ahead of the town meeting.

Next steps: staff will publish warrant language and supporting materials, hold the Dec. 9 public hearing and present the final warrant at the Dec. 9 council meeting so voters can consider the contingency at the Dec. 16 special town meeting.