Building Committee Meeting Minutes

WETHERSFIELD TOWN HALL / LIBRARY RENOVATIONS BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES - MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2004

Chairman Coombs called the Meeting to order at 6:03 P.M. in the Library Meeting Room. Members present were Joseph Coombs, David Edwards, Raymond Grasso, John O'Brien, Stuart Temple and Tim Tuell. Staff Liaison Tony Martino, Bonnie Therrien, Mike Turner and Library Director Laurel Goodgion were also present. Council Members Andy Adil & Julie Montinieri as well as Architect Peter Wells were present. Committee Member Carmen Pace was absent.

Public Comments:
1. None
Approval of Minutes:
1. Minutes of December 22, 2003 Meeting - Tim Tuell advised the last sentence in item ID2 should be amended to reference Mike Turner instead of Fred Martin. Motion by Tim Tuell seconded by Raymond Grasso to approve minutes. All but two members voted in favor (Raymond Grasso & John O'Brien abstained).
1. Police Facility
  1. Executive Session - To Discuss Cost Recovery - Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to go into executive session to discuss Cost Recovery for Construction Defaults. All members voted in favor. Executive session stated at 6:05 P.M. Those Present were Joseph Coombs, David Edwards, Raymond Grasso, John O'Brien, Stuart Temple, Tim Tuell, Tony Martino, Bonnie Therrien and Mike Turner. Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Raymond Grasso to end executive session at 6:16 P.M. All members voted in favor.
    NOTE: No motion or actions were made in executive session that needed to be brought out in public session.
    
    Bonnie Therrien asked when the Committee would be ready to update the Town Council on the renovation plans for Town Hall and the Library. Chairman Coombs advised he would like to have a combined workshop with the Committee and the Town Council in February when the final plan is ready. The workshop format will be similar to the one used for the police facility design review with Town Council. Bonnie Therrien left at 6:18PM.
    
    Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Stuart Temple to go out order on the agenda and review item IIIB1 next. All members voted in favor. [Notes on this item are shown in agenda order.]
2. Town Wide Radio System
  1. Expenditures: NOTE: Chairman Coombs advised Items 1 thru 3 are not expenses applicable to the bond but payable under the Town's operating budget. They are being approved and forwarded to the appropriate Town Agency for payment. Tim Tuell questioned who could verify that payment for items 1 thru 3 were performed and it was appropriate to pay, as on other requisitions there was signoff from the architect and / or construction manager. Mike Turner verified that the expense was appropriate and payment was due under Fred Martin's Site Management Contract.
    1. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-7-SM - $5,476.72 - Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    2. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-01-SM - $18,500.00 Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    3. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-06-SM - $7,500.00 - Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Stuart Temple to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    4. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-48-REG - $2,030.00 - Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Stuart Temple to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    5. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-51-PM - $1,812.50 - Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    6. Martin AG (USA) - Invoice WCT-57-PM - $15,000.00 - Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Stuart Temple to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    7. Northeast Towers Inc. - Invoice 964 - $4,650.00 - Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
    NOTE: Town Councilor Andy Adil arrived at 7:15 P.M.
  2. Contractor Change Orders:
    1. None
  3. Old Business:
    1. Motorola Punch List - Mike Turner advised he and Chairman Coombs were meeting with the technicians and staff every two weeks on the status of punch list items. There are two or three minor components that have to be installed which are not critical to the operation of the system. (e.g. components are items such as installing the radio in the fireboat.) The biggest thing technicians are pursuing is eliminating the static coming thru the system. Fred Martin had questioned Motorola on unit pricing for some equipment. Once and answer is received Fred will prepare his final recommendation for credit to the Town Manager and Town Attorney.
    2. Antennas - Stuart Temple questioned what other antennas had to be moved. Mike advised none. The antennas that were installed by Northeast Towers are for the State Police and RAFS Systems. Once the temporary licenses are in place licenses the antennas at 250 Silas Deane will be hooked up (cables just need to be connected) then the antennas currently being used at Town Hall can be taken down.
  4. New Business:
    1. RFP for Old Radio System Salvage - Mike Turner advised at the last meeting the Committee approved Fred Martin's proposal concept for salvaging the old radio equipment. Mike brought the concept to the Town Manager and Finance Director. Since the amount of income that could be generated might exceed $5,000 a formal RFP was prepared. The RFP will be advertised later this week.
  5. Staff Information:
    1. Mike Turner Memo - Cell Tower - Oswego - Mike Turner advised a resident first brought up this subject at a Town Council Meeting. The Oswego Tower was not designed, installed or inspected like ours or gone thru periodic preventive maintenance inspections. Our Towers were designed by URS Engineers and went thru structural peer review. When the Towers were constructed URS was there as well as a special inspector, then inspected by our Town Building Inspector and Fred Martin. Going forward Fred Martin will inspect the tower sites as part of his Site Management Agreement. Fred is currently working with tower erector companies to develop an annual maintenance agreement to have one inspect the towers annually and perform any necessary maintenance (e.g. tighten loose bolts, check life lines and connections and fix any rust spots found.)
3. Town Hall & Library Renovations:
  1. Expenditures
    1. Tuthill & Wells - Invoice 2680 - $3,350.00 - Motion by Stuart Temple seconded by John O'Brien to approve payment. All members voted in favor.
  2. Project Status:
    1. Review Schematic Design Plans - Peter Wells presented the schematic design he has prepared to date. He has another meeting with Department Heads and Staff this Thursday their final review. After that no more changes will be made and a final plan will be prepared for the Committee and to start design Development Plans to go out to bid with. Peter Wells reviewed the plans for Ground South, the Old Police Station, and First Floor of Town Hall and the Library. Basically the people from Ground South will be relocated to the old Police Station, Ground South will become the Children's Library and meeting rooms, the Elections Department will move to the first floor of Town Hall, the Mail / Copy Room and Employee Lounge will move into the old Police Space and the Library will expand on the first floor into the old Children's Library. The main entrance into the Library will be moved to the northwest corner of the Library eliminating the dual entrance to Town Hall and the Library. The Lobby and stairs to the lower level will be eliminated. The Lobby space on the first floor will be made into a smaller lobby to Town Hall and the rest Library workspace. The lower lobby space will become the Health District Offices. The only entrance into the Library will be the new main entrance so access to the Children's Library will be the staff stairwell on the first floor of the Library or the Library elevator. The Library Ground South meeting rooms will be located in the northeast corner of the building. They will have access to the toilets and will have a gate to block off the meeting rooms from the rest of the buildings after the Library closes so if meeting continue after Library hours exit will be from a door that leads to parking lot on the east side of the building. Committee members had concerns about people having to walk around the building to get to the west side parking lot. Peter Wells was asked to see if a corridor could be built from the door leading outside having it go over to the stairwell leading upstairs to Town Hall or the elevators so people wouldn't have to walk around the building or Town Staff could get back to their offices without going outside the building.
  3. Staff Information
    1. Library Grant Extension - A copy of the Town Manager's letter to the State Librarian requesting an extension of time for the Library Grant was attached. This request was done without Chairman Coombs or Mike Turner's knowledge. Chairman Coombs reminded the Committee all items regarding the bond should be routed first thru him or Mike Turner. There will be an administrative burden on the rest of the bond as there are separate paperwork requirements for all the various grants and bond (e.g. Library Grant; Small Cities Grant, and Bond). As a result of the present law there will be additional reporting requirements to the State and Federal Government on this project. There are separate prevailing wage requirements for the State and Federal Government that have to be met.
  4. Old Business:
    1. Stuart Temple asked for the mechanical study that had previously been completed. Mike Turner had his copy with him and lent it to Stuart for review.
  5. New Business:
    1. None
Next Scheduled Meeting:
1. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be Monday January 26, 2004 at 6:00PM in the Library Meeting Room.
Adjournment: Motion by John O'Brien seconded by Stuart Temple to adjourn. All members voted in favor. Meeting adjourned at 7:31 P.M.

I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the minutes approved by the Town Hall Renovations Committee.

John J. O'Brien Jr. Clerk
Michael J. Turner, Staff Liaison