WT Rich, modular classrooms greenlit

During a marathon meeting that started with an executive session at 3 pm and ended 4½ hours later with an announcement of another meeting on Friday, the Tisbury select board unanimously approved an agreement to secure WT Rich as construction manager at risk for the Tisbury School project. 

The vote was subject to adjustments made by town counsel. A dollar amount for the agreement wasn’t disclosed, nor was the agreement itself released. The board also unanimously approved a $3.4 million lease for modular classrooms for the project. The board unanimously endorsed draft warrant article language for a Martha’s Vineyard housing bank, and appointed acting Tisbury Police Lt. Bill Brigham as a full-fledged lieutenant — marking only the third time the position has been filled in the department. 

Town counsel David Doneski told the board ahead of its vote that a couple of issues remained before an agreement could be signed. “We had a few comments and requests for modification from WT Rich, the selected construction manager,” Doneski said. “I think those are just about worked out.”

One modification topic was the cost of liquidated damages per day for construction delays. 

Doneski estimated the penalty would be $2,000 per day. He also said there was an issue involving the “fixed price for the construction manager’s general conditions.” Doneski said he beleived one more round of discussion with the owner’s project manager and WT Rich should iron that out. 

Regarding the modular classrooms that will be used to accommodate pupils while the school is being rebuilt, town administrator Jay Grande said the lease will be for 20 months — ”that includes setup and removal and barging.”

Doneski described the modular lease as facilitated through “collective procurement” with a Texas-based company and through a Texas-based attorney.

“The lease agreement is being procured as a collective procurement under the uniform procurement act … we’re going through the Houston-Galveston area counsel,” Doneski said. “We have had communication back and forth with the actual vendor of the units because the way this works is the town and any participating government entity is authorized to do procurement under the umbrella of the Texas organization, and then contracts directly with particular vendors who have been … authorized, if you will, by that counsel. We provided some proposed changes to the lease; from the emails I’ve seen they’ve all been accepted.” 

Doneski stressed time was of the essence to sign the lease, in order to safeguard on-time delivery in a climate of supply-chain troubles. 

Tisbury School Committee member Michael Watts commended the work that brought the construction manager at risk and modular lease agreements to the select board’s doorstep. 

“I appreciate the town’s really strong diligence in moving these negotiations forward,” Watts said. Watts praised the owner’s project manager for working “tirelessly” behind the scenes to advance the agreements. Watts noted it was hard work by the owner’s project manager that enabled the Tisbury School Committee to endorse the modular classroom lease recently. 

When asked about the value of the construction manager at risk agreement on Thursday, Grande told The Times the information will be provided “when the negotiations are completed.”

Reached Thursday, Harold Chapdelaine told The Times he stepped down from the Tisbury School Building Committee on Monday, citing a health issue. Chapdelaine said he hasn’t yet seen the lease for the modular classrooms, but noted the Tisbury School Building Committee isn’t involved with that aspect of the project. 

“I know that seems strange,” he said. Chapdelaine said it was a town choice to put the modular classrooms outside the purview of the Tisbury School Building Committee.

“I don’t think there’s any utility to it,” he said, “but that’s the direction they chose to go.”

Chapdelaine said the Tisbury School Building Committee had allotted $1.5 million for the modular classrooms. He said he heard there might be a plan afoot to use money left over from the lead and asbestos remediation of the school to offset the cost of the modular classrooms, but he emphasized he had heard nothing official.

When told the select board opted to enter into an agreement with WT Rich, Chapdelaine said, “That is good news.”

Chapdelaine described WT Rich as “head and shoulders above” the other two applicants for construction manager at risk.

Despite the modular classroom being on a separate fiscal and oversight track, Chapdelaine said, “there’s going to be some overlap, and it’s going to be incumbent on everyone to make sure that overlap is very clean.” 

Brigham appointed; housing bank added to warrant

On the recommendation of Tisbury Police Chief Chris Habekost, the board appointed William (“Bill”) Brigham to be the third police lieutenant at the department since Ted Saulnier. “He’s been doing a great job,” Chief Habekost said. “He works well with not just me but everybody in the department.”

“I know all of us are extremely impressed by his level of professionalism, knowledge, and [his] management skills,” Grande said.

“I think it’s a good choice,” select board member Larry Gomez said. “I’m glad we are going to make this happen.”

“I think he’s ultra-professional, and just what we need in this position,” select board member Roy Cutrer said.

Brigham thanked Chief Habekost, the town’s police force, Grande, the select board, and his family for their faith in him. “I just really look forward to continuing to serve the community in my new role here as the police lieutenant,” Brigham said.”Thank you all very much.”

In other business, following discussion with Laura Silber, Doug Ruskin, Julie Fay, and John Abrams, the board unanimously agreed to place draft language for a Martha’s Vineyard housing bank on the annual town meeting warrant. The vote came with an understanding members of the housing bank steering committee would return with adjustments to the language after getting more municipal input. 

Gomez and select board chair Jeff Kristal indicated they would also like to see the language placed on a town ballot, but Doneski cast doubt on the feasibility of doing that. 

“This is one of the biggest pieces of legislation that we’ve seen on this Island for years,” Kristal said. “So I would expect a large voter turnout if it doesn’t go to the ballot. I expect it to go to the ballot, though. I really think that it should go to the ballot right after town meeting, so more people can weigh in on it.” 

Despite the expressed desire, the board didn’t place ballot language in its motion, and simply placed the housing bank on the warrant. 

In a DPW budget projection report, superintendent Kirk Metell told the board he was looking to “refill the facilities manager’s position” and “looking to bring back a buildings and grounds foreman to help focus more on town buildings.”

“I think we all know our buildings are in dire need of attention,” Metell said, “but so are our roads, and unfortunately a lot of our time goes into maintaining our roads.”

Kristal said Metell was doing a lot of “great work,” especially with regard to paving and other roadwork. 

Meanwhile, Grande told the board building commissioner Ross Seavey would be taking on work in a manner consistent with an assistant town administrator.