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Selectboard tables $65,000 contractor change order for Slaughterhouse Road covered bridge repair
Summary
A contractor invoice seeking roughly $65,000 in additional payment after completing emergency stabilization work on the Slaughterhouse Road covered bridge prompted criticism about lack of prior notice; the Selectboard tabled action pending review of the contract and testimony from the contractor.
At Sept. 23’s Selectboard meeting, town staff reported that a contractor who stabilized a covered bridge on Slaughterhouse Road completed the work and later submitted a change order claiming about $65,000 in additional compensation beyond the original contract amount. Board members and several residents criticized the contractor for performing work without prior authorization and failing to provide timely cost estimates.
Selectboard members said the contractor had restored the bridge’s original 16,000-pound capacity by installing heavy-lift scaffolding and I-beams, but that the lack of pre-approval for the extra work created a procurement problem. "It seems pretty unprecedented for a contractor to just do $65,000 worth of work without checking in with the town," one member said.
The board heard differing views: some urged negotiating the change order and requested the contractor explain the extra work and costs; others said the contract language must be reviewed to determine whether unapproved work obliges the town to pay. The chair said the item will be tabled so the full board can review the contract, see the scope of change orders, and hear from the contractor at a future meeting.
No final payment or approval was made at the meeting; the board asked staff to circulate the underlying contract and to prepare the item for discussion when all members are present.
