Bids come in too high for Van Antwerp Middle School safety work; engineering and equipment reimbursable

Laura Robertson, the town planner, told the committee that bids for the Van Antwerp Middle School and Grand Boulevard safety improvements "came in too high," so the town could not award the construction contract as planned. She said engineering and equipment procurement were completed on schedule and eligible for reimbursement, but staff needs to work through construction options with other departments before proceeding.

Committee members asked about the timeline and the lost crossing-guard service the town previously relied on; Robertson said she would coordinate internally with staff to identify a reasonable construction schedule and would discuss options for how to implement the safety corrections. No construction contract was approved at the meeting.