Finance Committee opposes Weston Town Center articles after lone bid

WESTON — November 20, 2018 — Weston Finance Committee recommends no on $17 million Town Center articles after only one bidder qualified. The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose Articles 5 and 6 of the Nov. 27 Special Town Meeting warrant, citing a lone bid that came in roughly $5 million over the engineer's estimate and arrived one week before the vote. Town Center Planning Committee Chair Steve LaRock said a second contractor arrived "about two minutes" after the bid deadline and could not be accepted under state procurement law. Committee member Harvey Boscoe flagged a "staking" line item that came in at $2.1 million versus a $100,000 estimate, and an Eversource quote of $2.87 million against an expected $1 million. The committee took "no position" on the $7.8 million Case House renovation, with the chair planning to address Town Meeting directly on the project's dual purpose of historic preservation and school administrative office space.