The Permanent Public Building Committee voted Oct. 21 to approve change order No. 24 for Anne O'Connor Contracting in the amount of $89,009.45 to address ongoing sound issues at the Emery Grover renovation.

Committee Chair Richard Cream opened the discussion by saying the change order had been finalized and that the revised cost was “a little over $88,000, which is down about $50,000 from the original scope of work.” He added that, if the work had been in the original contract, the contractor estimated roughly $35,000 less would have been added to the contract, and the town could be looking at an errors-and-omissions exposure of about $50,000 to $53,000.

Why it matters: Residents near Emery Grover reported continuing noise after prior work. Committee members said the contractor needs to proceed to reduce the disturbance and to satisfy neighbors who had raised complaints.

During discussion, committee members pressed for timing and effectiveness. George asked when the contractor would order long-lead mechanical parts; staff replied orders would be placed promptly after approval and installation would likely occur in a couple of months. Committee members also asked how confident staff were that the selected fix would meet the intended noise-reduction goal. Ken, a project staff member, cautioned that theoretical calculations supported the fix but that past calculations had not produced the expected result: “Theoretically, it should per the calculations, but then again, theoretically, this 1 should have worked too according to the calculations.” He added that the sound consultant is preparing additional analysis to identify why earlier work did not meet expectations and to recommend further mitigation if needed.

The committee moved and seconded the change order motion (the chair moved; a member identified as Bob seconded). The committee approved the change order by roll-call vote; the transcript records individual ayes but does not provide a complete numeric tally in a single summarized form.

Contract and scope notes: The motion specified the change order is for sound attenuation only. Staff said the scope requires removal of existing rooftop components, placement of a crane on site and installation of pieces that weigh roughly 300 pounds each. Anne O'Connor Contracting will perform the work; the change order will be charged to the general contractor's budget.

What happens next: Staff said they will proceed to contact the contractor and place orders for long-lead items immediately; the work will be tracked with the town's sound consultant to determine whether additional steps will be needed if the installed solution does not reach the town's target noise levels.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to document outcomes of the consultant's review and any subsequent actions. The committee approved the change order and will record follow-up steps in future minutes.