Jones Library Building Project’s Contingency Down to Half; Construction Expected to End by Early March 2027

Report on the Meeting of the Jones Library Building Project, August 10, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Austin Sarat (Jones Library Trustee, Chair), Sharon Sharry (Library Director), Sean Mangano (Town Finance Director), Farah Ameen (Library Trustee),  George Hicks-Richards (Library Building Facilities Supervisor ), Alex LeFebvre, Christine Gray-Mullen, and George Ryan (Town Councilor). Absent: Town Manager Paul Bockelman.

Staff: Bob Peirent (Town Special Projects Manager)

Construction Update
Exterior and interior work are progressing, including masonry, window installation, wall framing, drywall, piping, ductwork, and electrical panelboards. Rear erosion controls have been installed to replace compromised retaining walls in the rear of the property, an added expense to the project. The stone retaining walls are expected to last 25-50 years. Utility work at the adjacent Central Fire Department is complete, and the parking lot has been repaved.

Trey Logie, of Owner’s Project Manager Colliers, estimates that approximately five months of construction remain. He is awaiting an update from General Contractors Fontaine Brothers on the expected delay resulting from the required changes to the structural steel design last spring. The bidding process for furnishings and equipment is also not yet complete, so a final move-in date is not yet known.

Invoices/Contingency

A total of $1,670,950.77 in invoices was approved by the committee as follows:

Change orders for this past month included $55,623 in “mobilization delays”. Peirent explained that this is additional money the town has agreed to pay Fontaine Bros. because of delays in starting the project that “went way beyond what is allowed under bidding laws.” Fontaine Bros. held their initial bid for more than six months while the town completed the required Section 106 historic preservation review process, including rebidding for changes such as the real (vs. synthetic) slate roof. At the time, the Town Manager had reported to the Town Council that there would be no additional costs for the GC holding the bid for the extended time. 

The project contingency started at $3,218,300 and now stands at $1,773,542. Logie reported that another approximately $200,000 is currently pending and “foresees using a majority of the contingency.” Peirent described the choice of erosion control as an example of how decisions are being made based on the status of the contingency. He said, “We didn’t do the optimum solution because we don’t have the money.”