Selectmen approve multiple change orders for renovation project; OK $3,254.77 reserve fund for fire engine tires

The Board of Selectmen on March 10 approved a package of project change orders for the town’s fire/highway/building renovation and authorized a reserve fund purchase to replace wheels and tires on Engine 2.

Project change orders: Project staff reviewed and the board approved the following PCOs/change-order items: PCO O75 — $854.43 (access panel in a closet to access existing piping); PCO O76 — $568.45 (additional fire stopping per the building inspector); PCO O78 revision 1 — $2,556.74 (sprinkler piping work); PCO O79 — $962.39 (install a photocell to control exterior lighting); PCO O80 — $7,412.04 (new doors and windows at the DPW); and PCO O81 — $1,209.29 (fire alarm monitoring and programming). Speaker 5 clarified on the record that a prior on-camera statement misstated which items related to sprinkler piping versus sheetrock/patching and corrected the record.

Reserve fund for Engine 2: Earlier in the meeting the board approved a reserve funding request for $3,254.77 to buy two wheels and tires for Engine 2 after the vehicle was found to have unsafe, dry-rotted tires. The chair praised the fire department for a “creative way of solving the problem,” noting the purchase was funded from a gift account and a finance committee recommendation.

Budget status: Project staff told the board the overall project remains under budget and that the team did not need to request additional town funding at this time; a final meeting of project stakeholders was scheduled to determine use of any remaining funds.

Provenance: PCO details, clarifications and budget status were discussed during the change-order agenda item and the reserve fund request was handled earlier in the meeting.