Town of Cheshire committee approves change orders and monitoring contracts for Norton and North End school projects

At an extra meeting, members of a Town of Cheshire committee approved several change orders and not-to-exceed contracts tied to the Norton and North End school construction projects, including safety platforms, third‑party stormwater monitoring, and a transformer relocation.

Ryan presented PCO 47 for the Norton building to add two maintenance platforms above chair storage and the gym office so mechanical equipment can be safely accessed. He said the committee is asking for a not-to-exceed authorization of $19,322 to proceed while final vendor pricing is confirmed, and that the largest line in the estimate — $14,083 for metal fabrication — is expected to drop after further sourcing. “We are bringing this as a not-to-exceed amount of $19,322,” Ryan told the committee. Members questioned whether the railing would be removable and whether gypsum-board credits could reduce costs; Ryan said staff would investigate those options. The committee approved the not-to-exceed authorization unanimously.

The committee next addressed a state regulatory change requiring more rigorous stormwater monitoring and a qualified, non‑employee monitor for projects moving forward. Richards Corp., the site contractor for Norton, does not have certified inspectors under the new Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection rules, so the engineer Banesh quoted $34,135 to perform monitoring and weekly checklists. Dennis Ryu and others raised conflict‑of‑interest concerns about having the engineer of record also perform routine inspections; Dennis urged staff to confirm the regulatory language and look for independent options. Ryan proposed a not‑to‑exceed authorization of $35,000 to allow Richards time to secure a qualified third‑party inspector or for staff to contract with an alternative firm; the committee approved that motion unanimously.

At the North End site, the committee approved PCO 34R2 after Eversource’s installation group required that the site’s electrical transformer be moved out of a generator enclosure. Zach explained the change order totals $87,439 — about $69,696 for added electrical work and $15,198 for additional site work, plus contractor markup — reflecting added conduit, wiring and excavation for a roughly 70‑foot run. Zach said the design and permitting teams had earlier secured Eversource signoffs but that the field installation group would not accept the original transformer location. “This seems to happen on a very regular basis with Eversource,” Zach said; the committee voted to approve the change order unanimously.

The committee also approved a small revision to PCO 49 after a subcontractor recount produced roughly $1,000 in savings, and approved PCO 53 — a $1,543 increase to enlarge the black border of a large projector screen to correct sight lines. For the North End stormwater monitoring need, the committee authorized a not‑to‑exceed $30,000 sum to secure third‑party inspections if Richards cannot provide an independent monitor; that item passed unanimously as well.

A committee member reported the town had been notified of two forthcoming state payments tied to the projects, including a Norton draw in the neighborhood of $16 million. The meeting concluded with adjournment; members said the group will reconvene for a full agenda in two weeks.

Actions taken were procedural approvals to allow work to continue while staff finalizes vendor contracts and pricing; several items were approved as “not to exceed” amounts with the expectation staff will return if final costs exceed authorized limits.