Director Stevens, Gardner City’s economic and community development director, told the committee on Oct. 3 that the Rear Main infrastructure project cannot proceed on all tasks until National Grid completes a review of proposed conduit locations and the planned movement of overhead wires underground.

Stevens said the city has been waiting on National Grid for roughly two months for that review. In the meantime, contractors and the engineering team have advanced items that do not depend on National Grid’s final positions. “They've kind of been doing their best to hopscotch around to what items still remain that can be moved forward with so that we remain on schedule,” Stevens said.

Stevens said the project team has installed the water line to the future sidewalk and approved change orders related to winterizing the site’s water features, including a blow-off valve for the splash pad. He also said backflow preventers have been properly installed and that he will circulate full change-order documentation at the next monthly department update.

The director said the city and its contractor are pressing the engineering firm and contractors to keep communications open with National Grid to avoid further “choke points” in the schedule. He noted that the city has asked the engineering firm to check in with National Grid as often as is appropriate to keep the review moving.

Stevens did not provide a revised overall completion date for the Rear Main work during the update. Committee members asked no formal vote on the project at the Oct. 3 meeting.