Council awards $9.02M water construction notice to Atlas, approves contract contingent on SRF; engineering amendment approved

The Town Council confirmed an official notice of award for the town's water infrastructure project to Atlas, identified as the low bidder at $9,020,000. The prior meeting had recorded an intent to award; councilors said the notice allows the contractor to lock in supplier pricing while financing is finalized.

Council then considered formal approval of the Atlas construction contract. Staff recommended making contract execution contingent on SRF financing closing as scheduled (loan closing referenced for Nov. 12). Council approved the contingency approach: the town will share the finalized contract with Atlas for signature, collect bonds and insurance, and release executed documents after SRF loan closing.

The council also approved a contract amendment with Commonwealth Engineering Services to cover construction administration, onsite inspectors and labor‑standards compliance monitoring. The amendment is billed hourly and capped at $686,171, intended to fund inspector presence on two active work areas and monitor Davis‑Bacon/Veterans' requirements.

Council members emphasized the contingency language to protect the town if financing or schedule slipped, and staff committed to coordinating with SRF, the contractor and project engineers before releasing final documents.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the contract package under the approved contingency, track the SRF loan closing schedule and report back to council before releasing final contract documents.