MINUTES

LITCHFIELD SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

LITCHFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL LIBRARY

JUNE 2, 2005

 

 

A meeting of the Litchfield School Building Committee was held on Thursday, June 2, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Litchfield Intermediate School Library.

 

Present were: Stacie Kavle, Acting Chairman, Mac Bramley, Lynn Chapman, Bill Buckley, Gary Waugh, Jeff Zullo, Bob Blazek, John Mullin, and Kent Gilyard.

 

Also Present: Leo Paul, First Selectman, BOE Members Diane Knox, Don Falcetti, Wayne Shuhi and Tina Reardon; Tim Callahan of HSNP; Bruce Walpole of O & G, David Wilson, Town Treasurer; Public and the Press.  Jay Chittum, Superintendent and Cynthia Politano, Finance Director arrived late.

 

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. by Stacie Kavle

 

Motion was made by Mac Bramley to add the following items to the Agenda:

            4(a)       Discussion of the Petition;

            7(a)       Discussion of moving costs and safety and security by Superintendent Jay Chittum;

            7(b)      Gravel Parking Lot behind Litchfield High School.

Seconded by Bob Blazek.

 

Bill Buckley stated that he would be voting no to this motion.   He does not like to add items to the Agenda.  The Public should know what is on the Agenda ahead of time.

 

Motion Carried.  All votes were in the affirmative except Bill Buckley who voted in the negative.  There were no abstentions.

 

Approval of Minutes

Motion was made by Lynn Chapman to approve the minutes of the May 19, 2005 meeting, seconded by Bill Buckley

 

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

 

Public Participation

Winnie Harrison – Has there ever been a complete structural survey of Litchfield High School?  [To Stacie Kavle] – Have you ever had a working relationship with Herbert S. Newman Partners?

 

Tina Reardon – Regarding the petition to rescind; I appreciate all the work the Building Committee (“BC”) has done.  The people who brought forth this petition are financially negligent; additional $2M in debt plus interest.  These people are misinformed, naïve, obsessive.  We can not get a new project passed within our timeline.  I think the cuts are unfortunate but they are the right cuts.   The Town has turned down more expensive, inclusive projects.  I am begging the people who signed this petition to withdraw it.

 

Diane Knox – Speaking as a Parent and Member of Town I applaud the efforts of the BC.   I am frustrated and angered at these individual voices – they are not the entire community.

 

David Wilson – I have been receiving phone calls from people concerned about what their vote is worth in this community.   Rescinding the project will have possible impact on our bond rating.   Going back to the Town and asking for more is not going to work.

 

Mike Murray – I wish it was different, but we only gave so much money to work with.   I think you have to go ahead with this project.

 

 

 

Communication - None

 

Discussion of Petition

 

Stacie Kavle  - The Town Counsel told Leo Paul and me, because of the petition we can no longer consider any activities as far a awarding bids or entering into any costly contractual agreements.

Bill Buckley – We have a bid as far as hazardous abatement; those bids won’t be awarded until we go to referendum?  The Town Attorney should be here so we can ask him these questions.  I would like to request he attend the next meeting.

Mac Bramley - There is not a valid petition yet.   It will be considered at the BOS meeting next Tuesday.

Gary Waugh – Any discussion we have would not be affected until next week.

Kent Gilyard – It’s been received; that is the action that stops us.

Bill Buckley – It did not stop us last time.  They told us to keep going.

Stacie Kavle – We are at a point where we will be awarding contracts.

Kent Gilyard – Why don’t we just keep moving forward and not award contracts?

Mac Bramley – I would like to issue an apology to the Town.  It is hard enough to get volunteers for the Town.  These people who do this, they do not volunteer to sit on Town boards and commissions.   It’s reprehensible.

Kent Gilyard – The vote was not a close call.  It took four tries to get the $33M.  The people involved in rescinding the project before are not involved in this petition.   They are costing us time and the taxpayers money.

Gary Waugh – The most important people in this process are children.  We have an obligation to provide them a better school facility and they deserve it now, not six (6) years from now.

Bill Buckley – The first building committee; five of this BC served on it.  It was voted down by 37 votes.  There are always school projects, i.e. replacing roofs.  To try to find one project that does everything is not the right project.   Had we done smaller projects over the years, we wouldn’t have to do it now.

We are retiring debt from some of the old projects we’ve done, but if the project were ongoing.  We need some sense of community.  To throw this project out at this point; to think the Town will support a new school or to think you can build a new school for $200 per SF, it’s not going to happen.  It is $300 per SF; that is the number you have to use.

 

Finance Subcommittee Update

 

Motion made by Mac Bramley to authorize payment to the following:

1.                     to Kelli Green, for clerical work in the amount of $234.00;

2.                     to Peter Herbst, Attorney, invoice number 6178 dated May 26, 2005, in the amount of $5,100.00 for hourly rate plus incidentals of $481.78 for the abutter letters and postage breaking out to:

 hourly rate $3,366.00 for LHS project and $1,734.00 for LIS project and incidentals $317.97 for LHS project and $163.81 LIS project.

Seconded by Bill Buckley.

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

 

Mac Bramley – Two invoices from HSNP – approval was tabled to the June 16, 2005 meeting.  There are two issues regarding intermediate bonding:

1.                   For what duration is this project responsible for interest?

2.                   Interest earned on the unused portion borrowed and who does it benefit?

A future agenda item should be “how are contracts to be treated and evaluated?”  This BC assigned that task to the Chairman and Vice Chair.  Should the Construction Manager (“CM”) and Architect (“HSNP”) prepare a format for contract evaluation by Chairman and Vice Chair?

 

Bill Buckley – They may have fifteen (15) packages.  How does this BC want to become involved in approving these contracts?  If the Chairman and Vice Chair are working with the CM, who makes a recommendation, I would like to know what the recommendation is, but that is my preference.

 

Mac Bramley – The Interest on bond issue was erroneously reported as $300,800.74. Should be $300,800.74 less $96,500 premium on sale of bonds = $204,300.74 net to BC.

 

David Wilson – The amount budgeted for short term borrowing will not be exceeded.  The estimate we put in was conservative.   The more the project is delayed, the more risk is that short term borrowing will reach its limit.

 

Technology Update - None

 

Architect and Construction Manager Update

 

Tim Callahan – Phase I drawings have been completed and currently being bid.  Phase II drawings are being worked on and completed.   I received notice that we got the comments back on LIS.  The comments will be addressed in a letter, revised and resubmitted.   Inland/Wetland meeting is Wednesday, June 8TH.   We are hoping for approval in July.   Planning & Zoning approval in late July.  We are working on phasing of safety and security with the Superintendent and O & G.   Documents were sent to the BC regarding comparison of roofing systems.   Waterline report was issued.

 

Bruce Walpole – I have bid results for the abatement of hazardous materials.   Nine contractors attended the pre-bid meeting and four contractors submitted bids.   INCOR GROUP is the low bidder.  We have worked with them before and I don’t anticipate any problems.   If the referendum happens on the 24TH of June and project is not rescinded, we are currently scheduled to start abatement the following Monday, the 27TH.   Our intention is to maintain the schedule.

I met with the Superintendent and discussed temporary classrooms at LHS.  We will come back to the next meeting with plans and a rough layout of the construction site.

Bruce Walpole handed out a comparison of the current project and the “supposed” project with a new high school building and renovate as new of LIS.  

 

Discussion:

Bill Buckley – What we are missing from this estimate is what the Town’s cost will be to abandon this project.

Mac Bramley – Also the cost to maintain these two building for another five years.

Lynn Chapman – Tim can you confirm whether Stacie Kavle ever worked for HSNP?

Tim Callahan – Never; we didn’t know Stacie Kavle until we signed on to do this project.

Bill Buckley – Based on these estimated numbers, it is $334 per SF, its fair to say you are not going to building a new high school and renovating as new of LIS for less than $54M.

Bob Blazek – Is the cost of steel going up?

Bruce Walpole – It is higher than it was a year ago.  My gut feeling is that we are cresting.

 

Motion was made by Bill Buckley that pending the recommendation by the Construction Manager, the Building Committee directs the O & G to prepare contracts for INCOR GROUP for signature and provide contract to the BC Chairman and have Chairman ready to execute with advice of counsel, seconded by Kent Gilyard.

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

 

Gary Waugh – If we take the metal roof numbers and multiply out by the square foot, what are we looking at?

Tim Callahan – The cost difference goes from $18 –$23 per S.F. to $30 - $35 per S.F.

Gary Waugh – It seems to me that the metal rood is more durable and has a much longer longevity.

Tim Callahan – Both have a 20 year life cycle.

Gary Waugh – Would the duct system stay exactly as is.

Tim Callahan – The fans and mechanicals inside them will be replaced.   The location will stay the same.

Bill Buckley – The new portions of LIS will be sprinkled.

Tim Callahan – At this point we will need a generator and a fire pump.  The code modification for the stage area to “Light hazard use” was not approved by the State.

Bill Buckley – We are still looking at the water line, still trying to figure out hydraulics of waterline.

Bob Blazek – Although roof warranties may be similar, have you heard about reliability issues?

Gary Waugh – Bubbling was a problem at Pomperaug High School.

Tim Callahan – Installation may have been the problem.   You were probably covered by a warranty and the roof will be replaced or fixed.

Jeff Zullo arrived at 8:20 PM.

 

Bill Buckley – We should continue that conversation, estimating by our consultants is on line.  That is an item we can easily change if funds are available.

 

Discussion of moving costs was tabled as Superintendent had not yet arrived.

 

Gravel Parking Lot on plans to North and East of Litchfield High School

 

Mac Bramley – I remember that we were not adding additional parking.  Is that accurate?  It does impact one Intervener specifically.

Bruce Walpole – My recollection was that we were going to leave it as an add/alternate.  We will only add it if we have the funds.

 

Motion was made by Mac Bramley  that the Building Committee make sure the Construction Manager adjust budget to stipulate the gravel parking lot to the north and east of LHS is an add alternate.

[Motion was not seconded]

 

Bruce Walpole – The land use people need to see it.

Stacie Kavle – Lets find out if it is an add or delete before we make a motion.

Bill Buckley – There is harm in changing something now, we should stick with the plan.  We should not try to send a signal that we are changing a plan that has something in it which is required.

Bob Blazek – I am with Bill, don’t alter the plan.

 

Future Agenda Items

 

David Wilson – I am supposed to make a presentation at the next meeting.  When is the next meeting?

 

Jay Chittum arrived at 8:40 PM

 

Discussion of moving costs and safety and security by Superintendent Jay Chittum

We are starting to incur costs in moving, (4TH grade to Center School) and the planning for moving.  My expectation is that those costs would be charged to the project.  At this point they are not significant costs.

Bill Buckley – I don’t think that is an unreasonable request.

Jay Chittum – Most of the activity going on now is being done by custodial staff.

Stacie Kavle – Through my discussions with the Town Attorney that seems to be in line.

 

Jay Chittum – We are in the midst of planning the phasing of safety plans.  We hope to have it ready for the next meeting.

 

Leo Paul – I keep hearing references and ties to this project and the bus lot.  That is not part of this project.  It is the Town’s responsibility and the BOE to find parking for those buses.

Jeff Zullo – The First Selectman and BOE Chairperson should attend the June 8TH and 20TH meetings.  It needs to be made clear that it is not the Building Committee’s responsibility.  [Leo Paul and

Diane Knox confirmed they will be at both meetings.]

Bill Buckley – The plan will not be to park buses on this site.

Leo Paul – Correct.

 

Motion was made by Bill Buckley to adjourn at 8:40 PM, seconded by John Mullin.

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

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Kelli L. Green, Recorder