Sep. 11, 2024 - Building Committee Meeting

Approved September 25, 2024

MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Oliphant Administration Building

Michael S. Pinto Conference Room

26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842

September 11, 2024 4:30pm

Members in Attendance:

| Present | Voting Member | Name | Title |
| X | Yes | Edward Brady | Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Nash | Vice Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Niemeyer | Superintendent of Schools |
| X | Yes | Theresa Spengler | School Committee Chair |
| X | Yes | Tami Holden | School Committee Vice Chair |
| N | Yes | Vacant | Director of Facilities Management, Transportation and Safety |
| X | Yes | Thomas P. Welch, III | Town Council Vice President |
| X | Yes | Peter Connerton | Town Council Member |
| X | 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 |
| P | Alternate | Gregory Huet | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| P* | Alternate | William O’Connell | Alternate Member of School Committee |
| N | Alternate | Christopher Logan | Alternate Town Council Member |
| P | Alternate | Jerry Haas | Gaudet Middle School Principal |
| X | Alternate | Marc Tanguay | Town Finance Director, Alternate Local Budget Official |

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

• Peter Connerton arrived at 4:43pm; Theresa Spengler arrived at 5:00pm; Bill O’Connell represented Theresa before she arrived

1.       Call to Order

·         The meeting was called to order at 4:31 pm by Chair Ed Brady.  Eleven (11) of thirteen (13) voting members were present or represented by an alternate.  Town Council member Peter Connerton arrived at 4:43pm, increasing the quorum to twelve (12) at that time.

·         Also present: Justin Bernard and Colin McCarthy, OPM, Colliers Project Leaders

·         Present via Zoom: Matt LaRue, HMFH Architects; Ed Cifune, DBVW Architects

2.       Consider and Vote on Meeting Minutes from August 21, 2024

·         ** MOTION:**  Tom Welch moved to accept the meeting minutes from August 21, 2024 and Bill Nash seconded.

·         ** DISCUSSION:** None.

·         ** VOTE:** The motion passed unanimously (11-0).

3.       Architect’s Update

3.1 Construction Document Development Update

·         Matt LaRue informed the Committee that the design team was in the construction document development phase, as the design development phase is now complete.  This is the last phase of design before the project can go out to bid.  Construction document development is expected to be completed in mid-March, 2025.

3.2 Planning Board Master Plan Application Update

·         The master plan application was hand delivered to the Town Planner earlier today, in preparation for the public hearing scheduled for the October 9th Planning Board meeting.

·         The preliminary design submission will take place sometime over the upcoming winter.

·         The design team will be submitting a fire window sprinkler waiver letter to the Middletown Fire Department this week.  HMFH has already met with the fire department representatives, and they are in support of the idea.  The waiver will then need to be submitted to the state fire board for approval.  The fire board will then need to schedule a hearing with the consultant team to review the request.  Matt is confident that the request will be approved as it has been done on similar projects.

·         HMFH needs to resubmit the Stage III Design Development package to RIDE with an accompanying letter from CIVIC stating what impact, if any, the design changes have on the educational plan.

·         A meeting has been scheduled with the Middletown public safety officials on September 18th to review the changes to the base scope of the site plan, including the changes to the northwest driveway to Aquidneck Avenue and the east west connecter between Turner Road and Aquidneck Avenue.  Bill Nash asked if Chair Ed Brady and he could be added to that meeting invite.  Matt LaRue said that Justin could do this.

·         ** ACTION:** Add Ed Brady and Bill Nash to the invite for the September 18

·         Matt is planning to have the landscape architect present an updated site plan at the next meeting on September 25th.  Marc Thayer asked if a presentation can be given to the Roads and Utilities Subcommittee at their next meeting on October 3rd.  Matt noted this request.

·         The next round of meetings with school user groups will take place starting in October to review changes to the designs and start to gather inputs on furniture needs.

·         Biweekly coordination meetings with HMFH consultants continue.  Appropriate members of the Building Committee will be invited to those meetings as needed.

·         Matt then shared some updated diagrams of the building to show how rooms were reconfigured because of the change in footprint that was made during the cost estimating reconciliation process.

·         Locker rooms will be interchangeable between male and female, and a smaller space with a small number of lockers and a shower is also available.  This smaller space is typically used by officials, such as referees.  Similarly, single restrooms outside of the ganged male and female restrooms will be available.

·         A retaining wall will be needed at the north side of the school but not the south side.  3D views of the building will be shared at a future meeting.

·         Bill Nash asked if the Planning Board submission can be shared with the Building Committee.  Matt said that Justin would post the information to Dropbox.

·         ** ACTION:** Post Planning Board submission to Dropbox for Building Committee to review. – Justin

·         Preliminary soil sample results should be available for the next meeting.

·         The update from HMFH can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IkvbI1VSuudYKAbJQ1tHMg9fqlPG-yoP/view?usp=sharing.

4.       Owners Rep Update

4.1   Update on Meeting with RIDE Regarding Stage III Design Development Package Review

·         The consultant team met with RIDE School Building Authority on August 29th (Joe DaSilva and Keelia Kentor) to review the Stage III Design Development package.  RIDE is on board with the multipurpose theater, but suggested having the telescopic seating go all the way across from wall to wall to increase capacity.

·         RIDE requested that CIVIC and the Superintendent determine if a variance request is required for the updated design.  The team is targeting having the response complete by September 27th.

·         RIDE also suggested some site and parking changes, such as moving trees and islands.

·         Colliers’ commissioning division is reviewing the updated plans.

4.2   Update on Hazardous Materials Testing Results for Forest Avenue School

·         The hazardous materials testing at Forest Avenue School is complete and very little hazardous material was identified.  There is some asbestos in the mastic under the flooring in the cafeteria and in some exterior window caulk.

·         There are no major changes to the schedule except for a two-week delay to the RIDE Stage III resubmission mentioned earlier.  60% Construction Documents (CD) are planned for mid-December with the 60% CD submission to RIDE by the end of February, 2025.

·         Two separate construction schedules for each of the buildings (middle-high school and future upper elementary school) will be developed in early 2025.

·         RIDE Stage III DD re-submission will take place in the next two weeks.

·         Preparation for the Planning Board presentation in October will continue.

·         The update from Colliers can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XqrLrqUv0i7UEl_hj-yNN222gy_SBdPH/view?usp=sharing.

5.       School Building Committee Update

5.1 DCIP and Renew America’s School Grant Status

·         Chair Ed Brady informed the Committee that the DCIP and Renew America’s School Grants were not approved.  The Town will look to re-apply in the next cycle.  The team needs to also investigate the RI Infrastructure Bank and RI Energy grant opportunities.

5.2 Review Open Action Items List

·         Chair Ed Brady reminded the Committee that the open action item list is contained in the Dropbox and that owners should bring updates to future meetings to close any remaining open items.

·         ** ACTION:** Review open action items list and close any outstanding ones where possible. – HMFH, Colliers, Building Committee members

5.3 Coordination Meetings Update

·         Chair Ed Brady mentioned that he is setting up a meeting with the Middletown Historical Society to gather items to incorporate in the new school design.

5.4 Two Week Look Ahead

·         Chair Ed Brady suggested that the Committee meet once per month and use the other meeting each month for a small technical sub-committee to review construction documents as they are developed.

·         ** ACTION:** Bring a proposal to the September 25

·         A question was submitted by a community member to the Building Committee website about the drop off and pick up of students on Columbia Road.  Town Administrator Shawn Brown sent a response to the community member.  Don will post the Q&A to the website.

Adjournment

·         ** MOTION**: Bill Nash moved that the Building Committee adjourn at 5:28pm and Don Morin seconded. The motion passed unanimously (12-0).

Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be on September 25, 2024 at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant Administration Building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Morin