The Elementary School Building Committee on Tuesday night approved a budget change of $200,769 related to temporary paving and a berm on Hayden Rowe Street related to the Charleswood School project.

The payment reflected a pivot taken in response to the utility company failing to move its lines off old telephone poles to the new ones before colder weather conditions occur.

Project manager Chris Kenney of Vertex reviewed the committee’s discussion last month about having temporary paving take place until permanent paving can happen in the spring.

Kenney noted the road surface needs to be plowable during the winter.

ESBC member Bill Flannery asked if the amount for the work was lower than what had been estimated.

Kenney said the initial discussion had it higher, but the amount reflected a portion of the money released. When the work is completed in the spring, he said, the potential exists for additional funding to be needed “based on remobilization.”

The committee also approved an invoice package totaling approximately $6 million, with much of that ($5.5 million) going to contractor Brait Builders. The remainder was distributed as follows: $148,575 to Vertex; $115,630 to Perkins Eastman; $198,834 to JH Lynch & Sons; and $11,216 to Comcast for removal of lines between poles and assisting with the removal of wiring from an abandoned fire alarm that was no longer in use.

Stormwater runoff discussed

Kenney also noted the Vertex project team would be meeting with the Conservation Commission later Tuesday to follow up about off-site runoff that occurred following heavy rains on Sept. 26 and 27.

He said Vertex would continue to work with the contractor to ensure there is no discharge from runoff throughout the winter.

The situation involved a breach in one of the temporary basins on the southeast corner of the Charleswood School site, according to Kenney. Some runoff traveled between two properties and ended up in a catch basin on the street.

Another issue concerned a corner on the southwest side in a pond behind the Start Line Brewery. “Turbid flow” was observed within the pond after that rain event.

Kenney said the contractor, engineering team and Conservation Commission representatives visited the site to try to determine the source of the silt in the pond, but it was difficult to identify a cause. Kenney said there was no apparent visible erosion like was observed with the breach on the other end.

Project manager Chris Eberly also gave a follow-up tour of the area with Conservation Commission representatives to better understand site conditions.

ESBC chair Jon Graziano said the rain was from the nor’easter that occurred last month, which he deemed “a pretty unusual rain event.” Graziano noted steps are being taken to “manage stormwater correctly, and measures put in place.”

Added Graziano: “Sometimes there are events that make it impossible even with the best measures.” He said the team would continue to be as vigilant as possible.

Kenney said the breach of the basin on the other side was the result of a pump failure, which was caused by an electrical issue stopping the pump from functioning.

“It was a known, acknowledged and addressed cause,” he said.

Furniture, technology preparation underway

With furniture, finishings and technology requests for proposals (RFPs) expected to go out by year’s end, Flannery asked whether there are indications the budget would not be adequate to cover the needs.

“There’s no indication that anything is out of whack at the moment,” Kenney replied. “Nor is it anticipated that we will be changing anything that will cause concerns.”

Added Eberly: “The project has more than ample contingency to cover anything above and beyond those budgets. We in no way will run out of money.”

He said contingency funds are “north of $25 million,” on top of the money already budgeted for those items.