School Board Seeks More Information As It Reviews NHS Expansion Possibilities

By Eliza Hallabeck

More information regarding the Newtown High School expansion project was requested by the Board of Education at its last meeting on Tuesday, November 18.

Ed Barrett, the project manager for the Morganti Group, which is the company in charge of construction, presented a new projection for the possible price of the project that was compiled from the board’s decisions at its last meeting.

“Based on the last board meeting, there was a motion at the end of the meeting to put some items in as alternates,” said Mr Barrett to the board. He said value management items and the decision to look at the realignment of the main entrance as a Phase Three project were also looked into. The projected cost, as totaled in a handout from Morganti, is $39,631,154.

The budget for the project, as originally approved by voters last April, was for $38.8 million, but after bids came in over budget by more than $6 million an additional appropriation was requested and turned down by voters in October.

“When we rebid the project we will be changing the bid packages,” said Mr Barrett.

When bidding was held over the summer for contractors to bid on different packages of the project, Mr Barrett said there were a smaller number of contractors than expected. In order to bring the costs down during the next bidding session, he said, the group has been speaking to more contractors.

“However you package this project,” board member David Nanavaty, “if it doesn’t come in under $38.8 million this project will not be done.”

Board member Kathy Fetchick said she was not in favor of having to go back to the voters if the project comes in over budget again, and it would will delay the project further if it has to happen.

“I need some assurance that we’re not going to be on the same treadmill that we’ve been on for the next four months,” said Mr Nanavaty.

Mr Barrett said the decisions the board made during its last meeting were essentially moving work into alternates, and that will not get the project to $38.8 million.

“You’re still over budget with these numbers,” said Mr Barrett. “So hard decisions have to be made and items need to be either redesigned or taken out of the project if you want that $38.8 number.”

Since the bids came in, Mr Barrett said prices have come down slightly, and that could bring prices down more when the project goes out for a rebid. But he said it will not bring the cost down enough to complete the alternates on the project, or have a significant impact on the final cost.

Public Building And Site Commission Chair Bob Mitchell, who attended the meeting, told the board prices have not come down.

“If you ask me today, are we at $38.8 million? No we are not,” said Mr Barrett.

In a preliminary schedule for rebid activities, written by the Morganti Group, if the bid process starts by February, and is authorized relatively soon to do so, construction could start this May. That would entail the bids coming in within budget during the rebidding process.

Board member Kathleen Chrystie said voters are expecting action on the project.

“My suggestion would be to move out the project one to two months, but not too far,” Ms Chrystie said, because waiting could save money.

Mr Barrett said if construction can be started around May, the overall time spent on construction will be about 19 months, because more work can be done in the summer than the winter. If the project is pushed back, he said, it could make it a 22-month project.

The board also discussed options of the project that could be further cut out or back, such as the new culinary space or the expected heating and ventilating system.

Charles Dumais, NHS principal, was asked to return with exact information about the culinary classes offered at the school. He said the culinary classes offered now are not great, because some students are learning to cook with hot plates and warming ovens instead of good cooking appliances.

“I’m not trying to get rid of culinary,” Ms Fetchick said,

Ms Fetchick explained that she feels enough is not being taken out of the project to recoup the amount of money needed to come in under budget.

The possibility of changing the type of heating and ventilating system for the project was a discussion, but Joe Costa, with the architectural firm Fletcher Thompson, said he does not recommend another type.

By the end of the discussion Board of Ed Chair Elaine McClure asked Mr Barrett to return to the board’s next meeting, scheduled for December 2, with a written break up of bid packages he specified that could alter the cost of the project.