Geralyn Hoerauf of Diversified Project Management told the Public Building and Site Commission (PB&S) at its meeting on Tuesday, August 12, the Phase 3 Site Work package for the Sandy Hook School building project has been approved by the state.

“The team went up to the state on Friday, August 8,” said Ms Hoerauf. “The state did approve the package. It did authorize us to go to bid for site improvements. [Consigli Construction] is working as we speak for the bid packages.”

A portion of the site improvements were set to go out to bid Thursday, August 14, and the bids will be due on September 16, according to Ms Hoerauf.

Ms Hoerauf also said the town has asked Consigli Construction to come up with a method to control how bid documents will be shared with contractors. Sharing bid documents, she said, will be more of a concern with the Phase 4 building construction drawings than with the site improvement work in Phase 3, but the protocol is being developed now.

“What Consigli is doing, is they’re developing a bidder information sheet that they will distribute to potential bidders… it will verify whether in fact they are a legitimate contractor with an interest of bidding on the project,” said Ms Hoerauf.

The bid documents are public documents, according to Ms Hoerauf, and members of the public will be able to view the documents by going to the Newtown Land Use Agency.

PB&S Commission Chair Robert Mitchell said with all the concern around security, having the documents “available to anyone who wants them, already compromises security.”

“We wanted to make sure that if anyone wanted to see the drawings. You can’t take copies of them,” said Mr Mitchell. “A legitimate contractor can get a copy, but it has to be controlled.”

According to Diversified Project Management’s monthly report for August, the preconstruction phases of the project remain on schedule, and site improvement construction is expected to begin in late September.

“Phase 4 building construction is also on schedule and it is anticipated that the documents will be available for state approval by late October,” the report reads.

Ms Hoerauf also presented an updated project timeline for the commission, which outlines the approval process for Phase 4, when the PB&S will review cost estimates, and more. Construction on the project, Ms Hoerauf said, is now expected to start mid-February.

Project Donations

With the first donation that will be incorporated with the school building process, Ms Hoerauf said Consigli Construction is working to create a process of how to confirm donations, have the town accept them, and looking at the possibilities and constraints of donations.

Hunter Douglas has offered $100,000 worth of free window treatment, according to Ms Hoerauf, and the architects feel that amount will cover all of the window treatments for the new Sandy Hook School building.

“We just had that confirmed in an e-mail,” said Ms Hoerauf, “so not quite written up with a letter of donation to the town, but we are fairly confident that will come through.”