Revere building committee approves $804,760 in soil-management spending, including $135,960 for dust monitors

Revere, Mass. — The Revere High School Building Committee on Feb. 4 approved two time-sensitive spending measures aimed at managing contaminated soil at the high school construction site, voting to amend a consulting contract for on-site dust monitoring and to increase the project's soil allowance to cover additional testing and handling.

Committee members voted 10-1 to approve Left Field contract amendment number 9 and Budget Revision Request 14 to fund Sanborn Head's on-site dust monitoring for $135,960. The committee also approved Consigli amendment 8 by a 10-1 vote to increase the owner's soil allowance by $668,800. Both votes were taken during an out-of-sequence meeting called specifically to address these financial approvals.

"This proposal, again, totals a $135,960," the meeting facilitator said when introducing the dust-monitoring amendment, noting the devices were already deployed to avoid work stoppages and that the initial expectation is for a 12-month monitoring duration. The amendment is to be funded from the project's owner soft contingency; after committing the $135,960, the facilitator said about $605,000 remained in soft contingency.

Laura Garvey, the Sanborn Head consultant on the project, told the committee the monitoring requirement stems from pre-characterization soil sampling carried out in July and a more extensive sampling program that began in mid-October. "There are elevated concentrations of lead, arsenic, and benzopyrene in the soil here that are driving the risk," Garvey said, and she said the team reported findings to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on Dec. 4 and began perimeter dust monitoring in mid-January.

Ryan, the meeting facilitator, summarized the broader soil-management need as a set of three proposals run through Consigli that together increased the estimate to roughly $1,668,000 to complete testing and support the project's guaranteed maximum price (GMP). He said roughly $1,100,000 of the total is for soil pre-characterization and testing and that Consigli amendment 8 would increase the previously awarded $1,000,000 allowance by $668,800 to carry the work through the GMP milestone.

Committee members asked for additional detail on several line items. One member requested an itemized breakdown of the pre-characterization and testing costs and asked for clarification of a $287,000 field-observation line item. Garvey said the field observation allowance represents about 1,600 technician hours (roughly eight months of site coverage) and includes some office support time. She and project staff agreed to provide an itemized cost breakdown and the assumptions behind the budget lines.

A panel member also sought reassurance for the public. A committee speaker said there is "no risk to people walking by the site," describing the monitoring devices as a standard construction safeguard and saying the work will ultimately "better the land" for future school use.

Votes were recorded by roll call. For the dust-monitoring amendment and BRR 14 the tally was 10 yes, 1 no (Mayor Keith voted no). For Consigli amendment 8 to increase the owner's soil allowance the tally was 10 yes, 1 no (Chris Cermela voted no). The committee said the work is critical-path activity and that more detailed invoices and breakdowns will be provided at subsequent meetings.

The committee set its next regular meeting for Feb. 18, with an agenda and packet to be circulated in advance. There was no public comment; the committee adjourned after the votes.