Inn cost up to $8.5m
In the short term, work on Phase II of renovations for Campbell Station Inn is experiencing a slight delay. Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen are pondering a $1,395,000 construction contract within a fiscal year Phase II budget of $1,850,000.
As for long term expenses, the Board approved unanimously, in first reading, an amendment of its Capital Investment Program budget to increase appropriated expenditures for the Inn project from $8,094,301 to $8,594,301 — an increase of $500,000.
Town recorder Allison Myers said the increase was due to the bids for the costs of the project. The 2017-18 fiscal year budget for Phase II was $1,350,000 before the increase.
While the bid of $1,395,000 for Phase II work from Merit Construction Inc. was approved unanimously by the Board during its meeting Thursday, Nov. 9, BOMA subsequently voted to table action on approving the contract.
A special meeting to act on the contract was set for Monday, Nov. 20 [after press deadline].
Vice Mayor Ron Pinchok made the motion, seconded by Alderman Louise Povlin, to approve the contract, but Alderman Bob Markli said the contract was too vague.
“I have a lot of questions about this,” Markli said. “I don’t see a contract. I don’t see a scope of work. … and I can’t vote on this until I know exactly what it is I’m voting on. I need to see a scope of work.
“I want to know what we are paying the $1,395,000 for,” he added. “That’s a lot of money.”
“Alderman Markli, it’s our fault for not putting that scope of work in your packet,” Town administrator David Smoak said.
However, Pinchok said he remembered seeing the scope-of-work information at a previous meeting.
“Is there any harm in us waiting for the December meeting to approve this so we can have a contractor in front of us and all the information, program of services and everything?” Povlin asked.
“I think the major issue is we probably need to think about how long the Merit bid is good for,” Smoak said. “I think we are going to have some pre-[construction] meetings prior to the January date [for Notice to Proceed].”
“The only concern I think we would have is typically once a contract is awarded, there is an exchange of paperwork,” Town engineer Darryl Smith said. “It generally takes three to four weeks to get all the paperwork completed.” If the contract is approved during BOMA’s Thursday, Dec. 14, meeting, it would allow only three weeks for completion of paperwork, he added.
Phase II “includes the demolition of the wings on either end of the building, installing custom brick to match the historic brick’s dimensions, as well as the demolition of the dairy barn out back,” Smith said. Phase I included repairs to the roof and asbestos abatement for the home, which dates back to 1835.
“We received two bids for this contract,” he said, adding the other base bid, from Hickory Construction Inc., was for $1,464,930.
Additionally, the Board voted to authorize Smoak to approve a cumulative amount of change orders up to $50,000. Smith said allowing the staff to approve the change orders could save time on the project.
“With a project like this, it’s very possible that waiting two to three weeks for Board approval for a change order could stop the progress of the project completely.”
“As we approach the $50,000 limit, we would bring [any additional change orders to the Board] up for approval and start over with a $50,000 limit.
“Due to seasonal requirements and staging of the project, the Town intends to issue a Notice to Proceed in early January 2018, with completion 310 calendar days after the notice,” he added.
In other business, the Board unanimously approved:
• to approve a contract for $55,882 to ForeverLawn Southwest to replace the park’s existing playground surface.
• Replacing its existing sinkhole ordinance with a new ordinance that includes new requirements. Mark Shipley, Farragut Community Development director, said the new ordinance gives more flexibility concerning in situations where its requirements conflict with the Board’s plans for connectivity efforts of its sidewalks and walkways. This was a second and final reading of the new ordinance.
• An American with Disabilities Act progress letter, to be signed by the mayor, to Tennessee Department of Transportation that includes milestones of compliance with the ADA.
