Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Authorize site assessment contract up to $28,480

Approved unanimously (motion by one member, seconded by another) to authorize the chair to sign the site assessment contract, not to exceed $28,480.

The committee authorized its chair to sign a contract for site assessment work for no more than $28,480. The committee confirmed that payment will be based on actual time and materials, not a single fixed sum. It also confirmed that work will stop if the site is found not workable, as written in the contract. The chair agreed to contact Christian Smith to clear up remaining questions about the scope and to make sure the contract terms are in writing.

Site assessment budget and cost estimates

The committee reviewed expected costs for site assessment work on the public safety building site, out of a $50,000 budget. The committee's chair listed $6,580 for Beals, $16,900 for Northam's survey work, and $5,000 for wetlands flagging (marking the edges of wetlands), for a total of $28,480. A committee member and the Select Board representative said about $46,000 remained after earlier spending. The committee talked about keeping enough money for the needs assessment and other early work. The committee debated whether the whole property needs to be surveyed or only part of it. The chair agreed to ask Christian Smith whether the survey could be limited to lower the cost.