Library Building Committee Spends Another $1.2M. Members Want Project Schedule

The November 10 meeting of the Jones Library Building Committee (JLBC) saw the approval of October renovation-expansion project invoices totaling $1,202,474.  This follows monthly expenses of more than $2 million in September and $2.5 million in August.

The largest invoices came from Fontaine Brothers for general contracting, Finegold Alexander Architects for construction administration and Colliers for project management services.

Special Capital Projects Coordinator Bob Peirent commented that he sees the large expenditures early in the project as a good sign.

“We’re actually spending money a little bit faster than Fontaine had expected at the beginning of the job.  That means progress is happening at a faster rate than expected,” he said.

The invoice from Fontaine Brothers indicated a new change order for $71,790 which increases the total amount of change orders to $667,594.  Change orders represent work that was not anticipated in the original construction contract and must be paid for out of a budget line item known as contingency.

In presenting the invoices, Owner’s Project Manager Trey Logie of Colliers did not explain the source of the new change order or how much contingency remains, and no questions were asked.

Work Restriction Issues Raised
Project bid documents show that construction is bound by certain work restrictions aimed at minimizing disruption to regular activities in the heart of downtown Amherst. 

One restriction is that work may not be conducted on weekends or holidays without advance notice and the possible assessment of fees for unplanned inspections.

JLBC member Alex Lefebvre who lives near the construction site stated, “I noticed that work was happening on Saturday, and I assume any abutters who were supposed to be notified were notified?”

OPM Logie replied, “So this Saturday I believe they were not there, but this upcoming Saturday I know they will be.”

“No they were there. They were doing earth moving work,” contended Lefebvre.

Logie agreed that going forward abutters would be notified of Saturday work, saying that the construction workers’ “hours are different on weekends.”.

Another contractual work restriction is that any disruption of utilities requires three days’ advance notice and the written permission of the owner (Town of Amherst).  The cost of correcting any accidental disruptions is the responsibility of the contractor.

Lefebvre asked about a recent disruption of water service to Amherst Coffee across Amity St. from the construction site, and whether the business had been notified.

Peirent explained that the loss of water was not planned but resulted when a 2-inch tap connected to an existing pipe blew off unexpectedly.  “They were able to work with the DPW and get water service back on as soon as they could,” he said.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman added, “I nearly declared a state of emergency on that day because I get my coffee at Amherst Coffee every morning, and that was a very emergent issue.”

Committee Asks for Project Schedule
JLBC member Christine Gray-Mullen pointed out that earlier in the project the OPM has provided a project schedule showing milestones that had been reached and tasks remaining.

OPM Logie suggested that he could provide a 3-week lookahead, but Gray-Mullen explained that she was interested in a schedule for the whole project that shows critical dates and when progress may have slipped.

“It’s a time project management tool,” she told the OPM, and added that it would be helpful to fundraisers to see the project moving forward and to understand when it will end.

Peirent replied, “At this point we are focused on the construction.”  He reported that the contractor updates a very detailed schedule each month that extends over multiple pages.   He said that it could be made available, but “it’s not that concise schedule that you’re used to seeing.”  He didn’t think it worth the effort to condense the information onto a single page. 

“What it’s all about right now is getting the project done,” Peirent reiterated.

Town Manager Bockelman pointed out that the elementary school building project OPM maintains and publishes a high level project schedule.

“I can share it with Trey because I think that’s the model that we’re talking about and it’s perfectly logical for the building committee to have that information in front of it,” he said.

Fraught Question Not Pursued
Committee member Farah Ameen expressed a concern that U.S, Immigration and Customs Enforcement might target construction workers, as has been happening across the country.

“I was just wondering if there are any measures in place in terms of the crew in case ICE shows up in town,” she asked. 

JLBC Chair Austin Sarat quickly shut down the discussion.

“I think we should not at this moment be speculating or talking about that particular issue,” he said.