Feb. 26, 2025 - Building Committee Meeting

Approved March 12, 2025

MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Oliphant Administration Building

Michael S. Pinto Conference Room

26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842

February 26, 2025 4:30pm

Members in Attendance:

| Present | Voting Member | Name | Title |
| X | Yes | Edward Brady | Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Nash | Vice Chair, School Committee Clerk |
| X | Yes | William Niemeyer | Superintendent of Schools |
| X | Yes | Tami Holden | School Committee Member |
| X | Yes | Ed Collins | Middletown Shared Facilities Director |
| X | Yes | Thomas P. Welch, III | Town Council Vice President |
| X | Yes | Peter Connerton | Town Council Member |
| N | Yes | Donna Sweet | Middletown High School Principal |
| X | Yes | Michelle Fonseca | Asst Superintendent for Teaching and Learning |
| R | Yes | Shawn Brown | Town Administrator, Local Budget Official |
| X | Yes | Don Morin | Secretary, Community Member |
| X | Yes | Marc Thayer | Community Member |
| N | Yes | vacant | Community Member |
| P | Alternate | Gregory Huet | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| N | Alternate | Christopher Logan | Alternate Town Council Member |
| N | Alternate | Jerry Haas | Gaudet Middle School Principal |
| X | Alternate | Marc Tanguay | Town Finance Director, Alt. Local Budget Official |

X = Present/Voting; R=Represented; P=Present/Non-voting; N=Not Present

• Ed Collins arrived at 4:40pm; Ed Brady participated via Zoom (joined at 4:45pm)

·         The meeting was called to order at 4:35 pm by Vice Chair Bill Nash.  Nine (9) of thirteen (13) voting members were present or represented by an alternate.

·         Also present: Justin Bernard and Colin McCarthy, OPM, Colliers Project Leaders; Matt LaRue and Tina Stanislaski, HMFH Architects; Ed Cifune, DBVW Architects.

·         Present via Zoom: Connor Heinzman and Justin Viglianti, HMFH Architects, and Ed Brady, Chair, Building Committee (joined at 4:45pm).

·         ** MOTION:** Peter Connerton moved to accept the meeting minutes from February 12, 2025 and Tom Welch seconded.

·         ** DISCUSSION:** None.

·         ** VOTE:** The motion passed unanimously (9-0).

3.1 Exterior Masonry Colors Update

·         Ed Cifune informed the Committee that 100% Construction Document development is still on track for a March 7, 2025 completion to hand over to the Construction Managers.

·         A meeting is scheduled with Bentley Builders for Thursday, February 27th to discuss the renovation schedule for the elementary school complex, and a meeting is being planned for Monday to discuss the bidding schedule for the new middle/high school with Gilbane.

·         Ed Cifune shared renderings of the new middle/high school.  The philosophy is to try and use different colors for different sections of the building to make it less monotonous.  Much of the building uses architectural masonry units that were shown in a prior meeting, while the darker sections are comprised of metal panels.  Articulations near the windows and fixed vs. operable windows also break up the scale.

3.2 Permitting – RIDEM, RIDOT

·         Ed Cifune stated that consultant team met with RIDEM on February 18th to receive their comments.  The team is in the process of revising a portion of the storm water drainage system and will get back to RIDEM next week.

·         The consultants have not received a final signoff from RI DOT for the curb cut modification yet.  It is more of a formality as nothing is being done at the entrances on Aquidneck Avenue.  The entrances were already signed off with the Aquidneck Avenue improvements.  Ed expects a letter from RI DOT to come soon.

·         Energy Code: The Middletown Building Official accepted the consultant team’s use of the 2018 IECC.

3.3 Planning Board Master Plan Application

·         The consultant team will be presenting an updated Master Plan to the Planning Board later this evening.  Assuming approval tonight, one last submission will be made in March for final administrative approval.

3.4 Two Week Look Ahead

·         Planning Board meeting is scheduled for later this evening (February 26th).

·         The summer construction coordination meeting with Bentley is scheduled for February 27th.

·         100% Construction Documents are planned to be finished by March 7, 2025.

·         The update from HMFH/DBVW can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h75eTtf3d9jyGbjts93pLJY0Hyd2afok/view?usp=sharing

4.1   RIDE 60% Submissions Update

·         Colin McCarthy reminded the Committee that Colliers submitted the MS/HS 60% CD package to RIDE on February 13, 2025.  Colliers has requested a meeting with RIDE to review the MS/HS submission and to follow up on the Elementary School complex Design Development comments.   The 60% CD package for the Elementary School complex will take place after the meeting.

·         Ed explained that the CHIPS points for the Elementary School complex were initially at 94, then dropped down to 91, and the design team has now gotten it back up to 93.   Ed feels that RIDE will accept it.

4.2   Schedule Update

·         Colin reiterated that the key upcoming milestone is the 100% Construction Document completion planned for March 7, 2025.  After that date the team can work with Gilbane’s purchasing department to start buying out the project.

·         Gilbane is working on a schedule that Colliers can share with the Committee when it is available.

·         Vice Chair Nash asked about the availability for fields once Gilbane mobilizes in the next couple of months and Ed Collins explained that he is working with the various sports organizations that use the existing multi-use fields (Pop Warner Football, Island Lacrosse, etc.) to find places where they can have night practices at fields that already have lights, as bringing in lights can be both a challenge and costly.

·         The schedule can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lzMlDcMOmfCImTw1uqhal7X07wKCKbum/view?usp=sharing.

4.3   Budget Update

·         Colin stated that we’re still working within the $190million budget.  Total expenditures to date are just over $9.3 million and the Committee can anticipate seeing this number start to grow in the next couple of months.  The total anticipated project cost (excluding contingencies) is ~$178 million, but the Committee can expect that the full $190 million will be spent.

·         The budget can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15rhwv4RhAHMvAsK_scqaaw9FEt0Wg1sX/view?usp=sharing.

4.4   Two Week Look Ahead

·         The Planning Board meeting is scheduled for February 26th.

·         Colliers hopes to have a meeting with RIDE scheduled soon, after which the 60% CD Submission for the Elementary School Complex will take place.

·         The update from Colliers can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vs1YtyqpJX8eKGlj-5BAe1VLsRDf3b5s/view?usp=sharing.

5.1 Project Labor Agreement Update

·         Marc Tanguay informed the Committee that Town received three proposals to its RFQ for determining if a Project Labor Agreement makes sense for this project.  The three proposals came from Adler Pollock & Sheehan, Conley Law & Associates and Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara, LLC.

·         The Town Solicitor, the School District’s Attorney and the consulting construction attorney reviewed the proposals and recommend that the Town Council hire Panone Lopes Devereau & O’Gara, LLC to perform the Project Labor Agreement assessment.  The Town Council will take this up at their next regular meeting on March 3, 2025.

5.2 Two Week Look Ahead

·         Many of the Building Committee members plan to attend the Planning Board review later this evening at 6pm at the Town Hall.

·         The next School Building Committee meeting is scheduled for March 12th at 5:00pm.

Adjournment:

·         ** MOTION**: Tom Welch moved that the Building Committee adjourn at 4:59 pm and Peter Connerton seconded. The motion passed unanimously (11-0).

Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be on March 12, 2025 at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant Administration Building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Morin