Reading panel votes to enter session over OML complaint

Other Committee · Meeting of July 1, 2026

Reading's Permanent Building Committee voted to enter executive session over an Open Meeting Law complaint and approved more than $1.39 million in project invoices. Members Nancy Toomey, John Cook, Mark Doxer, Ari Greenberg, Mike Nazaro, Ron Powell and Pat Tompkins unanimously approved payments including a $1,332,950.52 requisition to contractor J&J Contractors, a $33,000 invoice to architecture firm BH+A, and a June invoice from consultant Turner & Townsend Heery. The committee also voted to go into closed session to discuss its response to a complaint filed by Kate Errington against the committee's finance working group.

Separately, the project's owner's project manager reported steel tariffs have pushed costs about $82,000 over budget, tied to a federal rule change affecting steel fabricated in Canada from U.S. raw materials. One member said, "I don't want to spend the two million, but there's some things that have to be spent to get this to work."

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,093 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Correction (Nov. 3, 2026): An earlier version of this story gave a specific amount for the Turner & Townsend Heery invoice; the recording gives two different figures, so the amount is no longer stated. It also said a makerspace design bulletin was withdrawn from pricing when it is out for pricing, cited a $3 million contingency total that was not stated, and called the executive session vote unanimous when one member's vote was not recorded.