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Andover selectmen push for competitive bids after school bathroom plan pivots to design‑build
Summary
Selectmen raised procurement and technical concerns about an elementary‑school bathroom renovation after the Board of Education moved from a design‑then‑bid approach to a design‑build proposal with Fuss & O'Neil. Selectmen voted to pause funds and seek outside review and a competitive RFP to reduce risk of change orders and unvetted subcontractor selection.
Selectmen on Jan. 12 sharply questioned how an elementary‑school bathroom renovation moved from an engineering‑led design and public RFP to a design‑build proposal that would let one firm act as both designer and general contractor.
The project began, selectmen said, as a standard approach: Fuss & O'Neil was contracted to produce engineering drawings and then solicit competitive construction bids. Multiple speakers told the board that, over the summer, the Board of Education and the superintendent pivoted to a design‑build path. Selectmen said they then encountered a lack of competitive subcontractor bids, incomplete or missing design details (including drainage and septic elevations and piping plans), and the risk that jackhammering cast‑iron piping under the slab could produce unexpectedly large excavation and replacement costs.
"This project is going to cost somewhere about $450,000 of taxpayer money," one board member said as the group pressed for higher documentation standards and competitive pricing. Another selectman said the town should require stamped, 90–95%‑complete drawings before any construction authorization and urged a 10% contingency for likely change orders.
As part of the debate, the board reported it has withheld a small remaining payment on an earlier $48,000 design contract (roughly $5,000 pending in the contract's fourth phase) while questions about the larger $390,000 design‑build proposal remain unresolved. Selectmen said they will not release further funds to Fuss & O'Neil until the town and school district reconcile which procurement path will be used and until detailed plans and bid materials are available for review.
Selectmen pushed for a "tactical pause" to allow a newly proposed project review committee and volunteer tradespeople in town to review drawings and specifications, confirm responsibilities for piping and drainage, and help draft an RFP if that path is chosen. Several members said they will press the Board of Education to either run a public RFP or, if design‑build remains the preferred model, demonstrate that subcontractor selection was competitively solicited and documented.
The board emphasized the advisory role it seeks from tradespeople: review completed plans and specify missing items before work begins, to avoid surprises that could add "hundreds of thousands" to the project if hidden damage is found. The selectmen said they expect the work to be achievable this summer if drawings are finalized, reviewed, and an appropriate procurement process is followed quickly.
The board's immediate next steps are to request the latest stamped drawings, convene (or supplement) the bathroom committee with town construction experts for technical review, and seek competitive bids or verifiable competitive subcontractor quotes. No final contract award or construction authorizations were made at the Jan. 12 meeting.
