Voters to offer opinion on Tuesday
Library repair bids lower than expected
By Karen Mann JOURNAL REPORTER

Construction bids to repair the exterior of the addition of the Forbush Memorial Library were opened on Wednesday; the town received three bids.

The lowest bid came from Construction Dynamics, Inc. of Fitchburg, at $1,547,300.

The project is designed so the library receives new windows and window frames, and a new exterior of brick instead of the existing EIFS material. The design also calls for a replacement of the roof with one that is properly vented and uses architectural shingles, which will appear similar to the area of the slate roof. The design also moves the gutters off the walls and improves the drainage around the building.

Voters will meet for a Special Town Meeting, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Westminster Elementary School. The first warrant on the article asks voters to approve money to cover the cost of the project, also factoring additional money for cost of project manager (who is required by law), a construction contingency amount, as well as associated legal and financial costs, said Town Coordinator Karen Murphy in a previous interview.

Thursday night (after press time, check out www.thecommunityjournal.com for coverage of this meeting) Library Trustees, Selectmen and the Advisory Board members were scheduled to meet to discuss the final costs of the project, the funding mechanisms and other details.

The bids also included proposed prices for three additional options for the project.

Alternative number one, which would change the flooring in the children's room from carpet to tile, costs $20,100 from Construction Dynamics. Alternative number two,

painting the interior of the interior walls, was given a price of $53,200, and alternative number three, a rough finish of the attic, was priced at $40,000.

If money were to be allocated for all three alternative projects, the total cost estimated by Construction Dynamics, Inc. would be $1,660,600.

The sealed bid from Construction Dynamics was missing two forms, a no-tax compliance certificate and a non-collusion affidavit. According to project architect Maury Wolfe, of DiMariniai & Wolfe, the bid was still active, and it would be up to the town council to decide whether to accept the bid.

The second lowest bid came from R.A.C. Builders, Inc., based in Agawam. In addition to the general bid of $1,634,000, it included $20,900 for alternative number one, $40,900 for alternative number two, and $25,300 for alternative number three, bringing the total estimated cost to $1,721,100.

This bid, as well as the third one, appeared to have all of the necessary documents, according to Wolfe.

Bid number three for the exterior envelope rehabilitation of the library was submitted by Barr, Inc. of Putnam, Conn. The highest of three bids received, the total cost was estimated at $1,856,000. This breaks down to $1,747,000 for the general bid, $29,000 for alternative number one, $54,000 for alternative number two, and $26,000 for alternative number three.

The alternative projects were ordered in number of importance, because state officials regulate that money be allocated for the alternatives in the order by which they are ranked. This means that money cannot be used for alternative number two, if money is not first used for alternative number one, and so on.

The alternative work done on the library will depend on how much money town residents vote to give for the project.

After opening the bids, and quickly scanning over them, Wolfe said all three seemed to have merit, since they were close in price range and all three came from companies that are certified by the state Division of Capital Asset Management.

Wolfe said the next step would be a reference check, which involves calling officials from projects the company recently worked on.

"We will call recently listed projects and do a reference check to see if they performed adequately on other projects," said Wolfe.

Because the project will be funded above the Proposition 2 1/2 levy limit, a town election will also be held for voters to approve that cost. The date of the election has not been set yet, but it is expected to be in early April, Murphy said. State law requires it be held at least 35 days after town meeting.