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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE NOVEMBER 2012 STM The funding request includes a 20% contingency, which is typical when a project is at this stage of design. Potential claims on the contingency fund include drainage systems, for which design work is still being developed, and which may require special permitting. Testing should determine whether soft soil or ledge is under the current asphalt; either condition could increase the cost. Note that new easements are anticipated. The project anticipates removing approximately 20 trees. The project involves constructing a new sidewalk on Grove Street, Robinson Road, and a small portion of Turning Point Hill Road. An appropriation at this Special Town Meeting will allow the project to be put out to bid in early 2013 so that work can be started during the summer of 2013 while students are on vacation. Because $1,600,000 of Free Cash had been set aside by Town Meeting for this purpose during the previous fiscal year, but not ultimately appropriated, the surplus reverted to Free Cash at the end of FY2012 and is now available for this purpose. The Committee recommends approval of this request (8 -0). Article 6: Appropriate for New Funds Funding Committee Requested Source Recommendation Estabrook School TBD Excluded Approve (8 -0) Debt up to $2,800,000 In March of 2012, Town Meeting appropriated funds to complete the design and then construct a new Estabrook School and to raze the existing building. The project and associated request had been elevated to high priority in response to a recommendation by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that the current building not be used beyond December 2014 because it is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is providing about 32% of the overall project cost as estimated last April. The architectural work is being done by Denisco Design Partnership. This project is the first where the Town will use a construction management arrangement called "construction management at risk ", allowed via MGL Chap. 149A, in which the Town hires a firm to be the general contractor. The contract at the outset is not a simple fixed price contract, but does involve the negotiation of a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). After the 2012 Annual Town Meeting was completed, the Town hired Shawmut Design and Construction Co. to be the general contractor. Utilizing this procurement method enables early packages to be negotiated with the construction firm and to date three amendments have been contracted: 1) Site Enabling Package ($650,000) 2) Early Site Package ($3,120,000) 3) Early Concrete and Steel ($5,250,000) Shawmut provided an updated construction estimate after the 60% construction documents were released in late September, and the new estimate was approximately $2,800,000 above the previous estimate from design development documents. 10