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Select Board delays wastewater public hearing to January pending final cost and financing numbers
Summary
Consultants have not delivered an updated opinion of probable construction cost and financing models; the Select Board agreed to postpone the wastewater public hearing to the week of Jan. 19 so the public and board can review Black & Veatch and PFM materials together.
The Select Board received an update on the wastewater treatment facility project and agreed to postpone a planned public hearing from December to mid-January to allow consultants to finish key deliverables.
Project staff said Black & Veatch has not yet provided the updated Opinion of Probable Construction Cost (OPCC) and PFM has not completed its financing models. Board members and staff said they did not want to hold a public hearing without those figures feeding into the financing analysis; the OPCC can carry a 20–30% variance, the project lead said, and PFM’s models need Black & Veatch numbers for accurate scenarios.
The project timeline discussed at the meeting calls for final design and value-engineering work during 2026, bidding in spring 2027 and award shortly thereafter. Staff said they had received outreach from a small set of large contractors capable of bonding and performing a project of this size.
Board members asked staff to advertise the hearing’s new date (week of Jan. 19) in local outlets and on social media and to ensure the Black & Veatch numbers feed into PFM’s models prior to public presentation so the board and residents can digest the information.
Quotes
"We don't want people to walk away from that feeling uninformed and misinformed," the chair said, arguing for postponement until consultants complete deliverables.
"The information that we're waiting for really is the updated opinion of probable construction cost," the project lead said.
What happens next
The board asked staff to reschedule the public hearing for the week of Jan. 19, to publish updated materials when available, and to present consolidated cost and financing information before public comment is taken.
No binding financial decisions or bond authorizations were made at the meeting; board members discussed the option of delaying a warrant article if numbers remain uncertain.
