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11/07/2017 11:00 PMNearly a year after the Board of Selectmen (BOS) first approved the contract and financing for the Arts Barn roof replacement project, construction is slated to get underway this week. The BOS recently approved the final contract for the project and the Board of Finance (BOF) approved a special appropriation not to exceed $15,000 for contingency costs.
The Arts Barn, which is home to Madison Cable Television and the site of numerous programs for youth, has been in need of a new roof for at least four years. The roof was first slated for replacement in fiscal year 2013-’14 under the former LOCAP program, which became the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), for $85,000. After numerous bidding issues and review by an architect, the project to replace the roof was awarded to Streamline Roofing Services, LLC, in December 2016 for $89,000. At the time, only $75,000 was designated in CIP for the project and the bid was approved with the understanding that a special appropriation would likely been needed to cover the full cost.
However, in April, former selectman Joan Walker, who stepped down from the board in December 2016, brought the project back into the spotlight. She said while she thought the contractor and the project had been settled, she noticed via an ad in The Source that a new request for bid had been issued for the Arts Barn roof. At the time, First Selectman Tom Banisch said the initial project had exceeded the project funds and wanted to see if there was a way to bring the project in under budget.
The Arts Barn roof has sections that are flat as well as a slanted section. In late April, nine bids came in for just the flat portion of the roof, ranging from $22,936 to $56,450. Considering the new prices, some board members wanted to see if the new low bidder, Rivers End Construction, could be negotiated with to do the whole project and still bring it in under budget. Ultimately the BOS voted on June 7 to go back to the original plan to complete the Arts Barn Roof Replacement project in one go rather than in two sections. To finalize the decision, the board voted in favor of a special appropriation totaling $25,139 to cover project funding.
AT the BOS meeting on Oct. 23, Facilities Director Bill McMinn said the project had stalled because the contractor was unable to honor the original price. McMinn suggested the board approve a contract with Commercial Roofing, a firm enrolled in the state bid list of approved contractors and with whom the town has worked before, which said it could complete the project within the $98,000 budget.
“The concerns I have is there is no contingency,” he said. “If we find something outside the scope of the roof that isn’t in the plan, like something we might find under the roof that would pose a problem, we don’t have funds for that.”
McMinn said his concerns involve the condition of the gutters, trees that overhang the roof, and kind of debris that might fall through during demo.
“If we do go forward with construction, we are going to have to find funds for these other items,” he said. “I don’t think we want to start and a project, have a problem, and then have to stop.”
Banisch said he wants to see this project get underway.
“Last winter we spent a pretty good amount of money plugging holes to keep the water out, so if we can get this done before the winter, that would be best,” he said.
The BOS approved the new contractor and then approved a special appropriation request for contingency pending BOF approval. The BOF held a special meeting on Nov. 3 where the appropriation was approved.
“This is s a very ancient LOCAP project and that is where the original funding came from,” said BOF member Bennett Pudlin. “In the new CIP planning process, we are pretty routinely putting in contingency money on all of these projects.”
The funds are slated to come out of the Capital Non-Recurring Expense [CNRE] account. With the money in hand, McMinn said he is ready to get started right away.
“I will start Monday [Nov. 6] and if the weather stays with us we will proceed quickly,” he said. “We are starting with the top, which is the flat area of the roof, which is the worst part, and then we will go with the shingles next. I said four weeks, but I am hoping to get it done sooner than that.”