Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Geothermal Connection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves $39,631 to connect test geothermal well for archival room after split debate
Summary
After debate over cost, technical complexity and sunk costs, the joint committee approved a $39,631 change order (PCO 42) to complete piping and pump connections to a pre-existing geothermal test well for the Mary Atwood room, while asking staff to assess alternatives and design-responsibility options.
The joint Permanent Town Building Committee and Library Trustees approved a $39,631 change order (PCO 42) to install piping and a loop pump needed to connect an existing geothermal test well to the building's Mary Atwood room, following a contested discussion about feasibility and value.
Staff explained the change arose from an omission in contract documents uncovered in RFI 69: the HVAC drawings covered piping to a point but not the civil scope required to reach the geothermal well. The mechanical and civil teams disagreed on the intended ownership of a short connection; the missing scope created the need for additional piping and a loop pump. The recommended negotiated value after discussion with contractors and engineers was $39,631.
Committee members split on the merits. Some members, including Chris, said the town had already invested significant sums in the test well and that using the well for the archival room would provide dedicated environmental control for a sensitive collection; Ellen noted the town had spent approximately $42,900 to date drilling the test well. Others argued a single isolated well is a poor substitute for a full geothermal field and creates operational complexity and maintenance burdens. One committee member called the well an example of a sunk-cost decision and suggested abandoning the specialized approach entirely and relying on the primary VRF/central system.
Megan and others asked whether contingency funds should cover design omissions. Staff replied that while the omission was a drawings error, the public construction process does not offer a straightforward mechanism to force an immediate cost recovery from the design professionals during construction and that contingencies exist to absorb such items.
After additional technical questions about whether the main mechanical system could be revised to serve the room without the well (staff said that would require further study and possibly additional equipment and space that may not be available), the committee approved PCO 42 by recorded vote, 10 in favor and 1 opposed. Staff said they will investigate whether alternatives to completing the geothermal connection are feasible and will report back at the next meeting if needed.
