$500,000 in Inspections Added to Assabet Renovation

An additional $500,000 in fees will need to be accounted for in the $62.4 million Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School renovation following a vote by the Marlborough City Council Monday night.

“The project is not being held up. The project is moving forward," Council President Patricia Pope said of a short-term agreement regarding inspection services.

“If we waive the fees, then the $500,000 in fees is borne by the city of Marlborough.”

Municipal inspection fees for public works project are often waived.

That is the verbal agreement which was made with former Mayor Nancy Stevens and former Building Inspector Stephen Reid, Assabet Superintendent-Director Mary Jo Nawrocki said in a letter.

Pope confirmed that some agreement had apparently been reached with the previous mayor waiving the fees, even though that was not within her power as mayor.

“There is no documentation to back that up," Pope said of the inspections for the $62.4 million project, which Marlborough is paying roughly half of as the largest of seven sending communities.

Councilor Edward Clancy spoke in favor of waiving the fees, saying that with the budget set already the costs would reduce the project's scope.

“If we don’t waive the fees something is going to be taken away from the building,” said Clancy, who called for a hearing with school officials.

“Who’s going to eat the cost? The regional school is going to eat the cost."

Other councilors, including Michael Ossing, Joseph Delano, Richard Jenkins and Donald Landers, said the cost should not be borne solely by Marlborough.

“I feel the other six communities should be contributing to this cost," said Landers, who explained there are override provisions built into any project.

“I think that is the fairest way."

“That’s an undue burden on the city of Marlborough while the other communities skate," said Ossing, who stated the inspections put a burden on already busy city staff.

The council voted to hold the district to the fees. Only councilors Clancy and Mark Oram — stating he wanted more time to gather more information — voted against the motion to retain the fees.

The Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District consists of Berlin, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, Northborough, Southborough and Westborough.