Representatives from Vertex reported on a “yellow” issue at the Charleswood Elementary School site that has been resolved through enhanced monitoring, and funding was approved for a third-party firm to review progress as construction begins.

The discussions took place at Tuesday’s Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) meeting.

Vertex Project Manager Chris Kenney reported that foundation work was suspended by the building inspector pending issuance of a foundation permit.

He explained the issue arose when the contractor “got ahead of himself” and started work prior to a formal permit, approval or sign-off.

Kenney said the good news is authorization was received to proceed with building areas A (south) and C (middle) on the site. For context, B is to the north and D is the gymnasium area at the northwest.

Going forward, Kenney said, the situation was recorded and steps were taken to ensure the contractor is closely watched and follows the building inspector’s rules. He is reminded of this obligation daily, Kenney said.

“We had some struggles getting out of the gate as the project kicked off,” added Vertex Project Manager Chris Eberly.

Eberly said the way the contractor “chose to approach the work” on the foundation necessitated a second person be brought on for monitoring such a large site.

He said all costs are within the current budget, and it is not concerning.

Tighe & Bond to review progress

The Vertex representatives also talked about consulting engineering form Tighe & Bond being brought on as a third-party reviewer for the Planning Board. The ESBC voted to approve a “not to exceed” amount of $21,500 for 20 site visits by the firm.

The purpose of the review is to see that construction proceeds in accordance with the Planning Board’s requirements.

Eberly explained Tighe and Bond functions as the “eyes and ears” of the Planning Board and town planner.

He noted the town planner is responsible for the stormwater management permit.

While the Conservation Commission has an agent to act as its “eyes and ears,” the Planning Department does not have a staff person to serve in that capacity, Eberly said.

Therefore, it is appropriate to bring on a subcontractor to review a project of this scale and size, he added.

And, Eberly said, having the same engineer that was the peer reviewer continue monitoring the entire site made sense.

He clarified that the stormwater management and site approval permits apply to the entire site, whereas the conservation agent is responsible for areas related to wetlands protection.

Kenney said the subcontractor’s purpose would be to keep the town abreast of progress and guard the community against deficiencies.

Kenney also outlined the reasons for the 20 site visits.

These include a pre-construction meeting as well observation during the construction/excavation of stormwater basins and soil testing, precast concrete installation, concrete and asphalt pavement installation, retaining wall installation along the south side of the street, the drainage system prior to backfilling components, drainage system utility trench work, roadway construction prior to backfilling and more.

The committee also looked at photos depicting, among other things, foundation formwork at the cistern under the southwest corner of the building. Kenney said the cistern is to hold water for fire protection.

Another photo showed the excavated loam processing area, which will be the future field at the school.

The committee also heard the payout to the town from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) through May 2025 is $4,347,001 out of $8.8 million in costs eligible for reimbursement.

Eberly explained the project funding agreement goes through the end of the design. As the project moves on, he said, the bid amendment will be reworked based on the actual construction costs.