Berlin Town Council Sends High School Plan Back To PBC With Instructions

The Berlin Town Council voted to refer the high school renovation project back to the Public Building Commission so that they can allow architects Silver & Petrucelli and Assoc. to complete construction documents.

Attorney Tim Corey, who was hired by the town as outside legal counsel, made the recommendation for the town to stick with the current construction team, at the very least until the drawings were done.

They are said to be almost finished and should be finished within eight to 10 weeks.

"I have worked in construction law for 25 years on various projects and after talking to people I believe that this is not the worst and not the worst budget issue," Corey said. "You are surrounded by capable advisors and based on the meetings I have had with them the best way to go at this point is to stick with the team and allow Silver and Petrucelli finish the plans. You are so close to the finish line at this point, to go an alternate route would delay the project at least a year in design.

"We are presently working on guestimates, to be kind. I think it would be the best course of action to allow the drawings to be finished so that FIP can look at 100 percent of the plan and then from there Gilbane can do some cost estimating. I think we can make an effort to find some cost savings while not cheapening the final product. This is not an indictment of Silver and Petrucelli but it would be good to go back and look at the mechanical and electrical systems and see if we can make a recommendation of some cost savings."

Mayor Adam Salina said his previous statements were made out of frustration.

"My previous statements to get rid of everybody and start over stemmed from my frustration and lack of information," Salina said. "If we start over now we are talking about a delay of years not months. We don't staff for a $70 million project. What people might not realize is this project goes back to 2005. We have had a number of proposals but this renovate as new project has to be 100 percent renovated or we lose state all the state money. This report from Attorney Corey was not what I expected but it makes sense to get this report back and know where we really stand."

Corey also proposed a peer review, where an outside consultant would be hired, to be conducted while the drawings are being completed.

"The peer review is a win-win situation," Berlin Corporation Counsel Robert Weber said. "It gives us a second opinion so that we may change and adapt and save some money. It's a small expense and I believe you will get a big return for your bucks."

The architects' plans have to be done by the Jan. 8 meeting the town has with the state, the next checkpoint.

"When I came in I was told the project was behind but it really is not behind," Corey said. "The Old State House came in 20 percent over budget and it is stalled until next year. To go forward makes this project more attractive to bidders for a number of reasons. First, bidders will see this as a live project. By bidding it out in the late fall and winter, you will generate more bid interest, certainly more than you have now."

Councilors Eric Buhrendorf and David Evans both raised concerns about going forward at this time and whether the project had any chance of coming in at or under the $69 million budget that was approved by town residents at referendum. Evans talked about his big concern that the contingency of the project is all but gone.

"My constituents have told me they don't want $100 million, or a $90 million or an $80 million and some even don't want a $70 million high school," Buhrendorf said. "Who do we have to get in a room to avoid a possible catastrophe of this being wildly over budget?"

The Town Council then voted on four recommendations.

The first was to refer the project back to the PBC. Evans asked that the motion be amended to include "to stay within approved $69.95 million budget" but it was voted down 5-2 along party lines. The Council voted and was approved by a 6-1 vote with Evans the lone no vote.

The second motion was for the PBC to re-bid portions of the plan that came in higher than expected. That was passed 7-0.

The third motion was for the PBC to use an independent consultant for a peer review to look for possible savings. Again it was passed by a 7-0 vote.

The last motion was to establish a six-person Advisory Committee to include two Town Council members, two Board of Education members and two residents so that they can participate in and attend all PBC meetings. They would not have voting rights at PBC meetings. The vote passed 5-1, with Evans voting no and Buhrendorf abstained.

"None of these measures are to condemn the Public Building Commission," Salina added. "They have done a wonderful job. Just as we are volunteers, they are also volunteers and this is an enormous project with many layers."