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Council questions $250,000 in late change orders for CMS softball field and a $24,950 hallway repaint
Summary
Councilors raised concerns about large, non‑reimbursable change orders for the new middle‑school softball field and a $24,950 repaint of a one‑year‑old hallway; with no Little League or athletic director present, the council authorized the town manager to approve or deny items and requested denials be returned with stakeholders for discussion.
The Town Council on June 10 considered two building‑committee requests tied to the Cromwell Middle School project: a set of late change orders for the new softball field and a painting requisition for a one‑year‑old interior hallway.
Town staff reported the softball change orders include an outfield fence and an 18‑foot protective fence intended to prevent flyballs from striking school windows, chain‑link fence topper products, and a proposed $30,800 ‘warning‑track’ sod restoration. The building committee’s meeting minutes show approvals for several items; councilors flagged the collective total of potential change orders as large and non‑reimbursable and questioned whether all items were necessary to open or to meet safety standards.
Council members emphasized two priorities: public‑safety needs (for example, protective fencing where balls threaten building glass) and stewardship of the bond-funded construction budget when items are not reimbursable by the state. Because Little League and the athletic director were not present to explain usage needs, councilors asked the town manager to review the building‑committee approvals and exercise discretion to approve or deny specific change orders. Any denials will be brought back to a future council meeting with the building committee, Little League and the athletic director in attendance.
Separately, the building committee requested $24,950 to repaint a one‑year‑old hallway in a different color (committee members said the current white shows marks easily). Councilors questioned the cost and whether in‑house building maintenance or school staff could address the repaint. Members suggested seeking competitive bids or having facilities maintenance perform the work if feasible.
Next steps: town manager authorized to review and decide on field change items; denied items will be returned to council with stakeholders for an on‑record explanation; council asked for clarification about the hallway repaint cost and alternative lower‑cost approaches.
