Housing board advances O’Brien affordable-housing infrastructure, awards flagging contract

The Block Island Housing Board on Dec. 9 authorized initial surveying and flagging work for the O’Brien affordable-housing site and moved to organize ongoing infrastructure management for the project.

Board leadership approved a proposal from Atlas (Ken Cole) to survey and flag the locations of two manholes, laterals and a fire hydrant required to advance the trunk-line work and cap laterals, with work to begin before Ken Cole leaves for Florida. Unidentified Speaker 1 moved to award the flagging contract to Atlas "based on their proposal" limited to the tasks Bain requires; Unidentified Speaker 2 seconded and the board approved the award by voice vote.

Why it matters: the board said cost estimates for the infrastructure have grown about 15–20% since early 2023, and completing the trunk line and associated site work is a necessary step before foundations or later construction phases begin. Unidentified Speaker 1 said the board has contracted only for the trunk line so far and "I have decided I'll break it down into phases," signaling a phased approach to managing cost and work.

Management and oversight: to avoid delays and errors, the chair proposed creating a three-person subcommittee to manage the infrastructure effort and act by consensus; alternatively, members discussed hiring a part-time project manager to focus on day-to-day oversight. "If it's something that's gonna happen through the entire project, then, you know, it's probably better to have someone that's focused on it that's being paid," said Unidentified Speaker 4 (board member). The board voted to send formal letters to potential infrastructure managers and to revisit the matter at the next meeting.

Scope questions and next steps: members debated whether to have the surveyor flag all eight building corners or only buildings 1–4 based on Bain's request; the board agreed to confirm the precise scope with Bain and Ken Cole before the contractor leaves. The subcommittee said it plans to monitor invoices, verify work done before payment, and return a recommendation to the full board in January.

The board also discussed bid evaluation and architecture procurement in parallel: a subcommittee (the chair, Josh and Jerry Noonan) is vetting bidders, checking references and requesting cost breakdowns; one bidder (Asana) had not responded to initial follow-ups. The board tabled review of the local architect's proposal until award of the building contract and expects a recommendation in January.

The board adjourned after agreeing to report progress at its next meeting.