Town Hall estimates go up, cupola may come down

‘Least expensive office space’:
A short history

When the Press reported last week on why, at the Dec. 2 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, Town Administrator Tim Bragan used the term “least expensive office space” as a requirement for the space being sought to temporarily house town employees during the renovation of Town Hall, we heard from Elm Street resident Billy Salter that we were remiss in ignoring that idea’s history.

The Board of Selectmen discussed looking for the “least expensive office space” at length during the summer of 2012, following Town Meeting approval of the initial funding for the renovation of Town Hall. At Special Town Meeting in August 2012, the BOS inserted a warrant article (Article 4), asking the town to authorize the board to lease temporary office space for Town Hall employees during renovations. The article specified that the space should be located “within the Town of Harvard (not including Devens),” and that the lease should be “the lowest-cost solution for the relocation of town offices.”

Residents offered three amendments that changed those clauses substantially. The first amendment, proposed by Salter, was to change the “lowest-cost” phrase to “the best tradeoff of costs and benefits, including financial and nonfinancial costs and benefits.” The second amendment, proposed by Keith Turner of Littleton County Road, was to delete the phrase “not including Devens.” The third amendment, proposed by Paul Richards of Westcott Road, was to change the phrase “within the town of Harvard” to “within an 8-mile radius as the crow flies of the Town Hall.” The selectmen rejected all three amendments, but they all passed by majority vote.

The final article, approved by more than a 2/3 majority, was worded as follows: “To authorize the Board of Selectmen to “enter into a lease, as lessee, of property for temporary space to house Town Hall offices and related space located within an 8-mile radius of the Town Hall while the current town hall building is being renovated, provided such lease shall represent the best tradeoff of costs and benefits, including financial and nonfinancial costs and benefits, for the relocation of town offices.” Thanks for the reminder, Billy!

—Joan Eliyesil

The latest cost estimates to renovate Town Hall are in, and while they show an increase of about 15 percent, the selectmen did not seem too concerned as they discussed their options at their Tuesday, Dec. 16, meeting.

The latest total construction estimate from A.M. Fogarty & Associates is $2,827,488, about $374,000 higher than this year’s previous estimate. But Selectman Leo Blair told the Press that, apples to apples, the increase is only about 8 percent, and most of that is due to the cupola. Vertex Engineering Services, approved by the board as the new Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), will be reviewing the estimate. The selectmen also set aside time at a special Jan. 13 meeting for the public to give input on whether the proposed stage on the Town Hall’s upper floor should remain in the plan.

Two big cost drivers

Two items contributed significantly to the overall estimate increase. The first is the fact that the new estimate’s base includes many items, such as sprinklers and a new roof, that were listed in the old estimate as add alternates (items not included in the base bid). As a result, construction costs that are calculated as a percentage of the base, such as profits, are all higher, contributing about $142,000 to the new estimate. An escalation factor of 3 percent is being used, based on a summer 2015 start date, and the contingency was reduced from 16.5 percent to 10 percent because of the higher base number. The other significant contributor to the increase is the cupola, which jumped from $52,000 in the previous estimate to $187,000 in the new estimate, because of the associated structural repairs that were identified as necessary in consultant John Holland’s envelope report.

Blair told Town Administrator Tim Bragan to let Vertex know that if something has to go, the cupola is first on the list. Blair also emphasized that the new plan of removing the interior walls and adding spray foam insulation is something “we don’t want to change our mind on.” Vertex will review LLB Architects’ detailed design drawings and the new construction cost estimate. Vertex will also provide soft cost estimates in time for the Jan. 20 BOS meeting, according to Bragan.

Owner’s Project Manager approved

Bragan reported on the negotiations with Vertex, the Town Hall Construction Committee’s first choice for OPM, telling the board that, initially, Vertex submitted a cost proposal that was $40,000 higher than the town’s starting point of $140,000. Since Bragan was given the authority to negotiate with the THCC’s second choice, Netco, he was able to bring Vertex’s proposal down to $159,000. According to Bragan, Netco was less than responsive, and its cost proposal was never finalized. The board voted unanimously to approve Vertex as the OPM for Town Hall. Vertex will also be the OPM for the Hildreth House project if it receives funding at Annual Town Meeting in 2015.

Opinions sought on stage

Blair had suggested time on the agenda for discussion about “public outreach on how the second floor of Town Hall should be used.” He explained that the board had said public outreach would take place, and he wasn’t sure when and how that would happen. “I’m obviously not an expert on public input,” he quipped. BOS Chairman Stu Sklar brought up the stage and stage lift, and the board decided that the time to get public input on that $48,000 item is now, before any decisions are made to cut costs. At Selectman Ron Ricci’s suggestion, board members agreed to invite the public to a meeting to give input on whether the planned stage should stay or go. They scheduled the meeting for Jan. 13, and agreed that they need a clear visual of what is proposed in the current plan in time for the meeting with the public.

Office space update

Bragan reported that the RFP for temporary office space will be posted Dec. 17. He is also sending the request to every landlord who responded or inquired about previous office space RFPs, as well as to landlords of offices that fit the space requirement of 4,000 square feet in surrounding communities within an 8-mile radius of town center. The town is required to allow 30 days for responses, which brings the deadline to Jan. 20.

Town Hall estimates go up, cupola may come down

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