MINUTES

LITCHFIELD SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

LITCHFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL LIBRARY

September 1, 2005

A meeting of the Litchfield School Building Committee was held on Thursday, September 1, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Litchfield Intermediate School Library.

Present were: Jack Healy, Chairman, Mac Bramley, Bob Blazek, Gary Waugh, Lynn Chapman and Jeff Zullo.

Also Present: Leo Paul, First Selectman, Superintendent Don Vita; BOE Member Diane Knox; Peg Perusse, Business Manager, Richard Mulcahy and Brooks Fischer of HSN; Ray Gradwell, Engineer; Cynthia Politano, Finance Director, Ed Fabbri, Public and the Press.

Meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM by Jack Healy.

Approval of Minutes

Motion was made by Mac Bramley to table the approval of the August 18, 2005 minutes until the next meeting, seconded by Jeff Zullo.

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

Public Participation

Mike Murray asked if the minutes were published on the School Website and commented that they should be posted closer to the meeting. Mentioned that BS is spending a lot of money on technology and don’t use it to post minutes.

Betsy Glassman state that Ray Gradwell, Engineer to the school projects sent a letter that said the DEP approved the project. Can BC specify what was approved?

Communication

Gary Waugh – BOE was pleased with all approvals received and grateful to the BC.

Bob Blazek – BOS is pleased we are moving along.

Jeff Zullo – BOF is also pleased that we are moving along.

Jack Healy – Received a letter from STC; they had comments on seven (7) points. All points have been addressed and STC has everything. We are on their agenda for September 22^ND.

Jack Healy read an article Waterbury Republican on August 30^TH on a school project and the increases in prices. It gives us a feel for the bidding at this time. Jack Healy met with Bruce Walpole before Hurricane Katrina. Bruce said that November is a good time to bid.

Jeff Zullo – We had a meeting to prioritize add/alternates and are going to continue with that.

Jeff Zullo hand out two articles regarding material cost increases on two local school projects.

Finance Subcommittee

Mac Bramley –

1. Attorney Peter Herbst – invoice number 6395 totaling $940.00 of which $620.40 is attributed to LHS and $319.60 LIS.

Motion made by Mac Bramley to authorize payment to Peter Herbst in the amount of $2940.00, seconded by Jeff Zullo.

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

2. DTC – invoice number 18444 totaling $562.50 all attributed to LHS.

Motion made by Mac Bramley to authorize payment to DTC in the amount of $562.50, seconded by Jeff Zullo.

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

3. Herbert S. Newman – Invoice number 15381, a bill for $774.18 for Wilbur Smith for their work with STC all attributed to LHS and invoice number 15380, a bill for $1,571.82 attributed to LIS.

Motion made by Mac Bramley to authorize payment to Herbert S. Newman in the amount of $2,346.00 seconded by Jeff Zullo.

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

.

4. Herbert S. Newman – Invoice number 15454 totaling $10,182.15 for LIS and invoice number 15453 totaling $21,335.85 for LHS both totaling $31,518.00 which represents 95% payment of contract.

Motion made by Mac Bramley to authorize payment to Herbert S. Newman in the amount of $31,518.00 seconded by Jeff Zullo.

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

5. Litchfield Public Schools – reimbursement for costs incurred to move classrooms – the purchase of boxes $4,198.60 or $2,395.20 LHS and $1,799.40 LIS.

Motion made by Bill Buckley to authorize payment to Litchfield Public Schools in the amount of $4,198.60, seconded by Bob Blazek.

Discussion

Richard Mulcahy – Modifications based on add/deletes will come from the bidding packet budget as opposed to the construction drawing budget.

Jack Healy – It is imperative that we have the correct add/alternatives on the drawings.

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

6. Town of Litchfield – bill in the amount of $3,320.00 to compensate Paul Prindle, assistant to Building Inspector.

Motion made by Gary Waugh to authorize payment to Town of Litchfield in the amount of $3,320.00 seconded by Jeff Zullo.

Discussion

Gary Waugh – Can you explain whether or not this was part of the overall agreement from the meeting we had on the spring?

Cynthia Politano – The bill is for the month of August.

Gary Waugh – Is the volume of work he’s done consistent with the bill.

Mac Bramley – I am going to vote “no”. The Town is making substantially more than these fees by utilizing earning from the unused proceeds.

Lynn Chapman – We entered into an agreement with the town that that is what we’d do.

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

Mac Bramley asked to be relieved of his duties as Treasurer of the Committee.

Technology Update - None

Architect Update

Richard Mulcahy – The project is ready; O & G has a set of drawings to develop bid packages.

Jack Healy – You stated before that you are relying on O & G for the estimates.

Richard Mulcahy – They must review out current state of the documents.

Bob Blazek – Isn’t it time to go through the drawings ad prioritize add/alternates?

Jack Healy – That is what we are doing at Tuesday’s meeting.

Jeff Zullo – The estimates we are using are May 2005 estimates. In October and November contractors want to line up and secure bids. There are areas of documents and bid packages that need to be revised and prioritize add/alternates.

Jack Healy – At the next meeting we will have a list of add/delete alternates. We want a contingency plan.

Jeff Zullo – We still are carrying a $2M design contingency. We used a little, but there is still come left.

Gary Waugh – It seems to me that cuts [in other school projects], especially in Region 10 are now at a level of program cuts.

Jeff Zullo – We’re not making cuts, we are identifying ideas.

Jack Healy – The drawing for OSF are done?

Brooks Fischer – As we go back to meetings they sign off on their comments. The only thing left is STC approval.

Leo Paul – I was told we could move ahead without STC approval.

Jeff Zullo – But we need OSG approval, we still have a couple weeks to update estimates.

Brooks Fischer – We have gymnasium bleachers to discuss. The current bleachers are not up to code. I was told they currently hold 600 people. Three drawing show less capacity [372, 404 and 450+] with more space between the lockers and court and bleachers and court. As we increase capacity those spaces get smaller.

Jack Healy – You need to have a conversation with the school administrators, teachers and coaches. They can not go down to a capacity of 372 people.

Mac Bramley – Can we price alternatives?

Jack Healy – Can you let us known what goes on with that?

Mac Bramley – Can we take recommended aisles and exits and find out what the current bleachers will hold today.

Lynn Chapman – Do we need all the exit aisles?

Brooks Fischer – We can not have more that seven (7) seats to an exit.

Ray Gradwell – We had two (2) applications in with the Connecticut DEP. Both applications have been reviewed and granted.

Mac Bramley – Has there been a discussion with the Town about what are the Town’s costs and what are project costs?

Jack Healy – There has been some conversation with Leo Paul, nothing formal.

Mac Bramley – I am not asking for additional monies for this project, however I would like to delineate maintenance.

Jeff Zullo – For example, granite curbing is required. That is not part of this project. Those items need to be reviewed and sent to the Town for funding.

Don Vita - - To clarify, the Gymnasium met code that was in effect when it was built.

Gary Waugh – What group in Town has the ability to alter the cap?

Leo Paul – The Board of Selectman and the Board of Finance.

Future Agenda Items

1. Jeff Zullo – Keep a schedule on the Agenda.
2. Mac Bramley – Public Communication from BC to public, especially notices to students and parents about where the project is.

Jeff Zullo [to Peg Perusse] – Have you seen the construction perimeter?

Peg Perusse – No

Jack Healy – O & G is responsible for a Site Safety Plan.

Peg Perusse – I asked Bruce Walpole to meet with me, the Superintendent, the two Principals and head custodians of the both schools about a site safety plan and to answer questions they have.

Mac Bramley – Has anyone addressed parking?

Diane Knox – Tim Breslin is addressing that.

Gary Waugh – It is one thing to have a plan, another to enforce it.

Motion to adjourn was made by Mac Bramley at 8:15 PM, seconded by Lynn Chapman.

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

Respectfully submitted,

Kelli L. Green, Recorder