Selectmen press DPW for clearer accounting and regular updates amid long elevator delay

The Board of Selectmen on April 21 pressed the Department of Public Works to provide clearer financial detail and more frequent progress reports on a delayed downtown elevator installation that has exceeded original timelines and consumed much of the project contingency.

DPW staff said the three-phase project (accessible route, second-floor bathrooms, and elevator) has spent roughly $3.75 million to date against an original budget in the neighborhood of $4.2 million and that the purchase orders are encumbered. Staff reported a remaining balance of about $21,000 in the elevator account but acknowledged the possibility of unforeseen costs. "As of where we stand today, I don't know — if something really crazy happens, I have to come to you," a DPW official said.

Selectmen described the delay as disruptive and at times poorly communicated. Members said they had been repeatedly told earlier completion dates and that more candid, earlier updates would have allowed different operational choices (for example, not scheduling weekly events that require repeated set-up and tear-down). One selectman said: "We can all handle bad news; it's better to get the bad news ahead of time." Another asked for a construction-style cash-flow spreadsheet that separates design, soft costs, contractor payments and contingency usage.

DPW attributed delays to the elevator manufacturer's supply and assembly problems (missing components, incorrectly wired motors for another country, and cross-threaded bolts in factory assembly). The installer retapped threaded holes on-site; glass installation, canopy and final commissioning remained to be completed. Installers are working a three-day production week to accommodate venue bookings and wedding events at the site, which the DPW said has constrained installation windows.

Selectmen asked for biweekly status updates to the board while the project is active, a clearer statement of the project's remaining financial exposure, and a timeline for the remaining commissioning steps. DPW agreed to provide the requested breakdown and to return for additional appropriations if necessary.