After gaining approval from all of the appropriate boards and entities, the Brookfield Board of Selectmen (BOS) voted 3-0 on December 14 to authorize First Selectman Bill Davidson to sign an agreement with Morganti Construction on the final payments for the Brookfield High School (BHS) renovation project, which began with a bond referendum in 2003.

Under the terms of the agreement, the town made a final payment of $623,000 ($485,000 from the WPCA) to Morganti, who was threatening a lawsuit against the town if that amount was not paid by December 15. In the signed agreement (see attached), Morganti also agreed to reduce the town’s guaranteed maximum price (GMP) by $613,394, bringing the total amount paid to the contractors from $27,395,411 to $26,159,017.

The check to Morganti (a copy is included in the exhibits attached to the agreement) was dated December 14 and all parties signed the settlement by December 16.

The next step, according to Davidson, is to officially close out the project before conducting what he is calling a “post mortem” to look at what when wrong and how those mistakes can be avoided in the future. Davidson suggested that the BOS might create a committee or study group at their January meeting to begin a review process that will likely include public input.

“We should have some sort of public meeting,” he said. “People have strong feelings about this project and they should have their chance to speak their minds in public.”

“We need closure and the community needs closure,” newly elected Selectman George Walker agreed.