Hampden ends contract with Williams Construction; authorizes Jay Johnson to finish library repairs with $155,005 appropriation

The Hampden Town Council voted unanimously on April 6 to terminate the town’s contract with Williams Construction for library renovation work, citing repeated mishaps and property damage. The termination followed staff consultation with the town attorney and a recommendation to exercise contract remedies.

Following that vote, council members authorized waiving the competitive-bid process and awarding the remaining work to Jay Johnson Builders on a time-and-materials basis. Council discussed cost safeguards and the reasons for the chosen contracting method; a town representative said some scope remains unknown and that a fixed bid could expose the town to excessive contingency charges. The subsequent appropriation of up to $155,005.32 from library reserve account 3-763-00 to pay Jay Johnson Builders passed 6-1 on roll call.

Town staff said urgency was a factor: two emergency exits at the library were blocked because of the incomplete work, increasing the need to finish repairs quickly. The town manager described prior work issues and legal steps taken before termination. "We exercised what we believe to be our rights under the contract," the town manager said, explaining that the attorney advised staff on following proper procedures.

Public and council discussion covered the method of contracting (time-and-materials vs. fixed-price bid), the origin of the $155,005.32 figure (remaining contract value plus contingency and potential purchase of materials purchased by the former contractor), and assurances about contractor reliability. Public works and staff described Jay Johnson's prior work for the town and insurance-vetted pricing as reasons to proceed. The council recorded the votes for both the hiring authorization and the expenditure in the meeting minutes.