Stoughton committee recommends approval of $508,267 in consultant invoices for new elementary school project

The Stoughton School Building Committee on Feb. 26 voted to recommend approval of four consultant invoices totaling $508,267.20, the committee chair said. Joel Wolk told the committee a working group reviewed the bills and found them "reasonable and in accordance with corresponding contract requirements."

The invoices the committee recommended for approval were: Vertex (OPM 119-39) for $52,125; DRA invoice 24 for $433,356.25; W.T. Rich (PC App 04) for $21,900; and GPI invoice O424765 for $885.95. Wolk said the GPI work was procured by the town engineering department for traffic and civil peer review and that additional GPI billing of about $31,000 is expected as the peer review continues.

Committee members asked for clarification about the GPI scope and whether the charge was part of the project budget. Eric Rubin said the GPI billing covers traffic, stormwater and an environmental peer review required by the planning board and conservation commission, and that Vertex indicated the cost is covered in the project budget. "We have a line item that this is being put up against," Rubin said.

After discussion, Wolk moved that the committee recommend approval of the invoices; a roll-call vote was taken and the recommendation was recorded as approved in the meeting transcript. The motion will be forwarded to the appropriate town body for final payment authorization.

The committee also noted that the GPI work is a town-contracted peer review (not an amendment to the project team contract) and that additional invoices related to peer review will be presented as they arrive. The committee asked staff to keep the group apprised of any material increases to that line item.

The committee adjourned later in the meeting.