MINUTES

LITCHFIELD SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

LITCHFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL LIBRARY

NOVEMBER 18, 2004

A meeting of the Litchfield School Building Committee was held on Thursday, November 18, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. in the Litchfield Intermediate School Library.

Present were: Stacie Kavle, Acting Chairman; Lynn Chapman; Mac Bramley; Robert Blazek; Bill Buckley; Jeff Zullo and Kent Gilyard.

Also Present: John Tindall-Gibson; Andrienne Longobucco; Peg Perusse; BOE Members Frank Simone, Diane Knox, Don Falcetti, John Noone and Wayne Shuhi; BOS Members Jon Whitbeck, Kevin Creed, Bill Dranginis and Dan Coelho; Public and the Press.

Meeting was called to order at 7:05 P.M. by Stacie Kavle.

Approval of Minutes

Motion to approval the minutes of the October 21, 2004 meeting was made by Lynn Chapman, seconded by Bill Buckley.

Motion Carried. All votes were in the affirmative except for Bob Blazek, who abstained.

Motion to approval the minutes of the November 4, 2004 meeting was made by Mac Bramley, seconded by Kent Gilyard.

Motion Carried. All votes were in the affirmative except for Stacie Kavle, who abstained.

Public Participation

John Tindall-Gibson – There is an email that was sent around that addresses safety issues on the stage. Some things are not code compliant and the stage should not be used until things are taken care of. We hope to have things corrected in a couple of weeks. Curtain will be taken down and thrown away. This email was send to Ryan Minney on August 9, 2004 and we just received it! We need to get this critical information right away.

Keith Shortsleeve (a member of the first building committee) He briefly spoke about what he thinks are the problems with the gym. He does not support the renovation as new of the existing gym.

Alan Landau – I submitted a proposal from a Design Architect to build a new school. If we can get you more money to build a brand new school, would you support that? The HVAC systems can not have the efficiency of a new system. Single block wall construction is also a problem.

Diane Blick – There are other options. Going back and looking at that, I am confident you can get a brand new High School and substantial renovation at LIS.

Keith Shortsleeve - You have a proposal for a school that can be built for $24M. Can you take that and have the Architect and CM compare apples to apples?

Kevin Creed – All of us want to do want is best for the Town. You were limited with this $33M cap. Originally the Town’s share would be $22M - $23M. It now looks like it will be $27M. We should try to get as much money back from the State as possible.

Bill Buckley – Point of Order. The Town voted for the renovation of LIS and LHS with a cap of $33M.

Kevin Creed – The cap was poorly planned. We should invest that money wisely. Let’s get more money back from the State.

Dan Coelho – I agree with the other four people. A wise way to proceed is build new, last longer, a predictable way to get the most reimbursement from the State. I would like to raise the cap. This is about doing what will achieve the best plan for the students.

Bill Dranginis – Leo wanted to reiterate that the article in the paper did not reflect what happened at the BOS meeting. 3 of the 5 Selectmen are in favor of the project. Leo and I support the project 100%.

Keith Shortsleeve – If the committee doesn’t have the authority to build a new school, why do they have the authority to not build a new gym?

Frank Simone (to BC Members) – You guys are doing a great job.

Winnie Harrison – The plan sold to the Town you can not deliver. Look for a new one.

Alan Landau – As much as prices are rising, profits are going down.

Communication

Bob Blazek – The BOS discussed the Building Project. Bill Dranginis asked me to pass this out and I will. It’s a proposal Alan Landau put together with some other people.

Mac Bramley – The Town Clerk ask for our 2005 schedule of meetings.

Motion was made by Bill Buckley to schedule meetings the first and third Thursday of the month, seconded by Kent Gilyard.

Motion to Amend the Motion was made by Mac Bramley that the Litchfield Building Committee Finance Subcommittee meet at 6:00 PM preceding each regular meeting.

Motion to Amend Carried. All votes were in the affirmative. There were not abstentions.

Motion Carried. All votes were in the affirmative. There were not abstentions.

Mac Bramley passed out Fernando Pastur’s communication about LIS.

Jeff Zullo – A new High School is being constructed in Oxford of 160 square feet, brand new, $43.9M currently or $6M over budget. New cost per SF is $312.50. The information we were presented tonight was interesting.

Bill Buckley – The estimates we are being presented are low. I am currently working with JCJ who submitted an ED 049R with the SF cost of $311.00. If we build a new school we have to do something with the old school. In 1987 the Center School was renovated, the HVAC was renovated and working fine. At LHS we are talking about replacing the boilers and putting a 3^RD one in. I would not vote for a higher priced school. And we still have an $11M project at LIS. Where do we draw a line with expenses?

Jeff Zullo – This estimate says $188. - $200. per SF for construction. Soft costs are another $100. per SF. What member of the building committee is saying this project is going to cost the Town $30M?

Bill Buckley – It’s nice to see four Selectmen at this meeting. You should is here every meeting and see what we are working on.

Kent Gilyard – We ended up with a school that is going to function better. The design that we now have is a superior design. There is better flow. At LIS there is a new cafeteria. The Administration has better control of the building.

Stacie Kavle – I feel we are delivering a superior project. It’s going to answer the educational needs to the students. The buildings are going to be improved. The Town has to keep in mind that the building will require maintenance. New Construction gets the maximum reimbursement. Program Alteration also gets maximum reimbursement. Target renovation will not get maximum reimbursement. These two buildings are structurally sound. We can renovate them for less than building new.

Jeff Zullo – The current estimate is $24.5M net cost to the Town. The new school is $30M new cost to the Town.

Stacie Kavle – One of the major concerns about the Gym is providing more space. We are delivering an aerobics and weight room and new locker rooms.

Bill Buckley – When the Architect and CM get any information it should be addressed to the BC immediately. If we can make sure HSNP gets that message.

Finance Committee Report

Mac Bramley

On November 4, 2004 we tabled payment of Hayley & Aldrich subject to receipt of a report from HSNP. Mac read the report.

Motion was made by Bill Buckley to pay the remainder of the bill totaling $4,707.50 to Hayley & Aldrich, seconded by Jeff Zullo.

Motion Carried. All votes were in the affirmative. There were not abstentions.

Technology Update

Andrienne Longobucco – The BOE approved the changing of the Ed Specs. with regard to the technology proposal at the November 4, 2004 meeting. We have to have something to plug into it. It is a decent amount of money and it has to show up somewhere, computers, printers, hardware.

Jeff Zullo – How do you currently plan and fund hardware? Do you have a 5-year plan?

Andrienne Longobucco – In capital, but last year it got cut.

Jeff Zullo – The Capital Improvement Committee is a good way to fund something with a five year life.

Bill Buckley – When we got on this roof it was a mess. Somebody has to inspect the roof and do the maintenance. That is the Town. Things like computers should come before the Capital Improvement Committee, things less than a 20-year life.

Jeff Zullo – Is it better to short term capitalized or long term bond. We have endorsed the plan, but part of that estimate we do later.

Mac Bramley – We are going to need to make a policy statement. What fits into what we are creating?

Andrienne Longobucco – It doesn’t matter to me where the money comes from. At some point there has to be some money for peripherals.

Bob Blazek – What fits into what we are supposed to be doing? What is the life expectancy of each item? In the existing building are we going to evaluate where we are going to put wireless.

Andrienne Longobucco – We talked about access carts. You take them and plug in at a classroom and that space becomes wireless.

Playing Fields Update

Jeff Zullo – Excavation of Site work will be done this fall. Paving with be done in May or June. The Group is contracting with someone to do the track. I think that person should contract who puts up the fence.

Bill Buckley – Would procuring a contractor in that manner compromise our SFU eligibility? O & G can coordinate that with them. Check with HSNP.

Jeff Zullo – The specifications are all defined and to HSNP.

Mac Bramley – Remind HSNP that the Playing Fields need stub out for water sooner than construction starts.

Peg Perusse – You can not bid project until SFU tells you that you can.

Jeff Zullo – They intend to play on it Fall of 2005.

Future Agenda Items

Jeff Zullo – Finance Note – First Selectman, Finance Director and Town Treasurer have initiated bonding issuance.

Bill Buckley – Put it on the Agenda of the Finance Subcommittee meeting to report to the BC.

Wayne Shuhi – Has the Town Finance Director been involved with the BC?

Jeff Zullo – She has attended the Finance Subcommittee meetings.

Motion to adjourn at 8:30 PM was made by Mac Bramley and seconded by Jeff Zullo.

Motion Carried. All votes were in the affirmative. There were no abstentions.

Respectfully submitted,

Kelli L. Green

Recorder