Story · Public Safety Building Committee
Site and wetland consultant selection
The committee's agenda lists an update from Beals as an item for discussion.
How it happened
May 6 · AgendaFirst mention
Beals Associates is listed as an agenda item for the committee's 5:30 pm meeting. The agenda gives only the heading.
Jun 24 · Agenda
The committee plans to review a response to a request for proposals (RFP) from Beals and Associates. An RFP is a document in which a firm offers to do a job for a set price.
Jun 24 · Agenda
The committee plans to review a response to a request for proposals (RFP) from Verdantas. An RFP is a document in which a firm offers to do a job for a set price.
Jun 30 · VideoDecided
The committee had narrowed its choices to two firms after meeting with both. Members said both were qualified and that costs were close, since much of the work is billed for time and materials. They said one firm's lead had a head start because the town had already hired him for some work, and that he is local and has appeared before the town's rivers committee many times. They said the other firm is part of a larger company. A member moved to go with the first firm. The motion was seconded and no one was opposed.
Motion to select the first firm (the one with the lead the committee knew from earlier work) was approved. The chair asked for any opposed and none were heard. No vote count was given.
Jun 30 · Video
Members asked what to send the selected consultant. They agreed a letter from the town accepting the offer should be sent, and that someone would also call him the next day so he can contact the surveyor and start work. The committee said the letter should serve as the formal record. Members said he already knows the work includes surveying and mapping wetland boundaries and finding out how much is needed before going further. One member said the project must reach the March ballot, because a delay could add about $800,000 to a building estimated at about $7 million. The consultant said flagging and surveying would take three to four weeks from the start. A member said the consultant may be invited to a later meeting, and that the town would remind him to watch the amount of money available.
Jul 15 · MinutesDecided
At the July 15, 2026 meeting, the committee's chair said the committee had unanimously selected Beals and Associates for the first phase of site work on the public safety building. The chair told a Beals representative about the decision. The Beals representative asked to meet with the committee on July 22 to make sure everyone agrees and to talk about next steps. The committee agreed to that date, pending final confirmation. Later in the meeting, the committee said Beals and Associates is scheduled to attend the July 22 meeting at 5:30 PM to talk more about site work.
The committee unanimously selected Beals and Associates for the initial phase of site work. The minutes do not give a vote count beyond unanimous.
Jul 15 · Video
The chair said he told a contact at Beals that the committee had voted unanimously to work with the firm on the first phase of site work. The contact was away the week before. He asked to come to a meeting on July 22 with an environmental consultant or surveyor, who would bring older survey and wetlands information, so everyone is on the same page. The chair asked if the committee was fine with this. Members said it seemed good. The chair said the meeting would start at 5:30 p.m. and the talk with the firm would last no more than half an hour. One member said he would be away that day. The chair said he would confirm the date with the firm the next day, and that once it was confirmed the visit would go on the agenda. Separately, the committee talked about how to handle proposals for a related request for qualifications (RFQ), due July 22 at 3:00 p.m. The chair said he would send electronic copies to members ahead of time if they wanted them. Members agreed not to print paper copies unless a bidder required it.
Jul 15 · Agenda
The agenda lists Beals and Associates as a topic for the committee to take up. The item is only a heading.
Jul 22 · Agenda
The agenda lists Beals and Associates as an item for discussion.
Jul 29 · Video
A member said the site consultant emailed a proposal of $47,938 for wetlands, survey and permit work, and asked for a signature. The member had not signed it. The member asked whether the consultant would keep the contract through the whole project and asked for a proposal that lists the work now being done. Members said the price covered permitting and wetlands work, and the wetlands work starts next week. A member said a survey might not be needed because the deed work was done. Another said the consultant had said some pieces could come in under $10,000 each. The consultant would tell the town if a state permit were needed but would not apply for it. The committee took no vote on the proposal.
Aug 5 · Minutes
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.
Aug 5 · MinutesDecided
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.
Approved unanimously (motion by one member, seconded by another) to authorize the chair to sign the site assessment contract, not to exceed $28,480.
Aug 5 · VideoDecided
The chair reported a revised price for site work: $6,580 for the engineering firm, $16,900 for the survey firm, and $5,000 for wetlands flagging and meetings with the state. The total is about $28,480. The engineer called $30,000 a worst case and said billing would be for actual time and materials. This would leave about $17,500 of the $50,000 for the needs assessment and cost estimate. A member asked that the right to stop work if the land is not usable be put in writing. The chair said he would ask the engineer for savings and would put the stop terms in the agreement. A member moved to let the chair sign the agreement for no more than $28,480, and another seconded.
Motion carried by voice vote: the chair may sign the site work agreement for no more than $28,480. No vote count was given and no one opposed.
Aug 12 · Video
The chair said the fees for the site work consultants came down. Beals lowered its number to below $4,000. Northam lowered its number to $5,000. A third firm, referred to as GO, is expected to come in between $2,500 and $3,000 to finish its work. The chair said the total could be about $10,558. The chair said Beals sent one invoice for last month's work, a small amount, which was sent to the town to pay. The chair said he signed the revised proposals for Beals and Northam. The firm GO has finished the wetlands flagging. Northam is expected on site the next week. The committee hopes to get something from them within a couple of weeks. The chair said the committee does not need a full site plan, and the cost of the rest could be built into the total budget.
Sep 2 · Video
The committee has no update on the site survey for the town-owned land on Route 87 and Meadow Road. Beals is the civil company doing the survey. It is waiting on wetland flagging to be picked up. Without that, the committee does not know how much usable land there is. A committee member said some early results show dry upland near Route 87, and the company has an environmental engineer. The members hoped to get some information within about a week. They said a full site plan will not be paid for until voters approve the idea. The work is paid from the $50,000 the town allowed the committee to spend.
Sep 2 · Video
A resident asked when land information would arrive. Committee members said they hoped for some within about a week and planned another meeting next week. They said they want to spend little of the $50,000 the town allowed. They do not want to pay for a full site plan unless voters approve it. If the site does not work, they said the departments' needs remain. The only fallback now is to buy land. The architect's work would still apply to any site. Any final plan would go to voters.
Sep 2 · Agenda
The committee will hear an update from Beals as an agenda item.
Sep 30 · Agenda
The committee's agenda lists an update from Beals as the second item. The meeting starts at 5:30 pm.
Oct 20 · Agenda
The committee's agenda lists an update from Beals as an item for discussion.