Sherman committee approves $2.35 million progress payment to contractor and several consultant invoices

The Town of Sherman School Building Committee unanimously approved a $2,347,229.13 progress payment to Newfield Construction at its March 16 special meeting, and also approved a package of consultant and testing invoices and prior meeting minutes.

Chair Kerry Merkel moved to approve Newfield Construction’s progress payment dated Feb. 28, 2026; Jim Best seconded the motion and the committee voted "all in favor." Merkel also moved to accept minutes from Feb. 9 and Feb. 27, 2026; Don Lowe moved the minutes and Bob Gamper seconded, and the committee approved both sets of minutes.

The committee approved multiple other invoices during the meeting: Construction Solutions Group (CSG) items described in the minutes as a Sherman School portion of $6,225.05 and a central administration portion of $17.95 (the minutes record a total of $2,640.00); two Antinozzi Associates invoices dated Feb. 28, 2026 totaling $110,741.94; a Meyer move-management invoice totaling $847.24; and two Special Testing Laboratories invoices with a combined total of $19,943.83. Kerry Merkel made the motions to approve each set of invoices; movers and seconders are recorded in the minutes and each motion passed "all in favor." The minutes contain an apparent discrepancy in the CSG invoice line items and the recorded total; the committee record does not reconcile that difference.

Committee members present for votes included Kerry Merkel (Chair), Bob Gamper (Vice Chair), Jim Best, Christian Dacunha, Tim Laughlin (Board of Education member) and Matt Vogt (BOE Chair); Don Lowe (First Selectman) and Andrea Maloney (Treasurer) were also present. The committee did not record individual roll-call votes in the minutes, only "all in favor."

The meeting adjourned at 12:32 p.m.; the committee scheduled its next regular meeting for April 20, 2026.