Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, locations for those held in person are noted. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch for the agenda and link.
Thursday, July 11
- Cemetery Commission, 2 p.m., Town Hall Hearing Room
- Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee Retreat, 5:30 p.m., NRMS Library Conference Room
Monday, July 15
- Select Board and Finance Committee, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16
- Select Board, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 18
- Wellfleet Seasonal Residents Assn., 7 p.m., Adult Community Ctr. and online
Conversation Starter
Herring River Contingency Update
The town is dipping further into its contingency fund to pay for unexpected costs of construction at the new Chequessett Neck Bridge.
At its June 27 meeting, the select board approved a fifth change order from Wes Stinson, Environmental Partners’ representative for the project. The change order totaled roughly $416,000, bringing the total amount of contingency money used so far to $1.3 million. According to Stinson, there is $650,000 left of the $2 million contingency fund.
The overrun consists of $92,000 in overtime allowance for work completed in March; a $295,000 modification to the new bridge’s gates and water control mechanisms; and $29,215 for an extended scour slab — a structural support for the new tidal gates.
Stinson said that construction crews worked overtime in March to beat the Dept. of Environment Protection time-of-year restriction for the herring run in early April. The change to the tidal gates will allow more control; Stinson said it’s necessary because of rising sea levels and the unabating overwash from Duck Harbor.
Select board chair John Wolf worried that the town would soon drain the funds it received to complete the project, over $70 million. Stinson said that he feels confident that grant funders would work with the town to “get through whatever hurdle we come against.”
Wolf asked if funders would increase the project’s contingency fund. Town Administrator Tom Guerino said asking for more funding is still far down the road. “They are not going to entertain that until it gets to a critical point,” Guerino said.
“This project is super dynamic, and it is always changing,” DPW Director Jay Norton told the board. “I want to make sure that the public is assured that we have a great team for this project.” —Sam Pollak
