School Building Project Still Stalled over Bid Protests

The Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) conducted a brief meeting on November 15, 2024, to provide an update about the bidding process and to approve invoices. 

Three general contractor bids were received for the Fort River School building project and protests were then filed against the low bidder and the Town of Amherst. The Attorney General’s (AG) office conducted a public hearing on October 29 that heard testimony from two unions and two bidders who filed the protests as well as the low bidder and the Town of Amherst, all represented by counsel. Amherst Capital Projects Manager Bob Peirent noted that the AG requested additional information after receiving closing statements from all parties. The AG had noted that these cases are usually resolved within three weeks of the hearing. 

ESBC Chair and District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen wondered whether the closing and additional statements were public documents and was told by Town Manager Paul Bockelman to ask the AG’s office. She also asked how long the bids were valid. Peirent said that it is usually 30 days, which would have been the beginning of November, but that the contractors had agreed to extend that for another month. Schoen also noted that this process will result in a two month delay and asked what effect this might have on the construction schedule. Representatives form both the Owner’s Project Manager and designer team answered, “We don’t know yet” and “It is premature to speculate.”

In the meantime, the construction site is being maintained to prevent erosion. The work is being conducted by the contractors who performed the early site preparation work under a separate contract undertaken earlier this year. The next meeting of the ESBC is schedule for December 20, 2024 at 9 a.m.