Nov. 20, 2024 - Building Committee Meeting

Middletown Public Schools

Middletown, Rhode Island

Approved December 18, 2024

MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Oliphant Administration Building

Michael S. Pinto Conference Room

26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842

November 20, 2024 5:00pm

Members in Attendance:

| Present | Voting Member | Name | Title |
| X | Yes | Edward Brady | Chair, Community Member |
| X | Yes | William Nash | Vice Chair, Community Member |
| N | 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 |
| N | 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 |
| N | 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 had to depart at 5:55pm to attend a Town Council meeting.

·         The meeting was called to order at 5:00 pm by Chair Ed Brady.  Ten (10) of thirteen (13) voting members were present or represented by an alternate.

·         Also present: Justin Bernard and Colin McCarthy, OPM, Colliers Project Leaders, and Ed Cifune, DBVW Architects.

·         ** MOTION:** Bill Nash moved to accept the meeting minutes from October 23, 2024 and Peter Connerton seconded.

·         ** DISCUSSION:** None.

·         ** VOTE:** The motion passed unanimously (10-0).

3.1 Construction Document (CD) Development Update (including 100% Elementary School CDs)

·         Ed Cifune informed the Committee that the team is about halfway through the CD development for the new middle-high school, while the elementary school CD development is complete.

3.2 Planning Board Master Plan Application Update & Next Steps

·         The consultant team presented the Master Plan Review to the Middletown Planning Board on November 6th.  Two zoning variances and five waivers were approved.  The team will continue to work with Town representatives as the project moves toward the Preliminary Review in early 2025.

3.3 RIDEM Permitting Filing

·         The permitting was filed with RIDEM on November 13th.  It is not clear when initial comments from RIDEM will be received, so the Planning Board Preliminary Review might need to take place pending final RIDEM approval.

·         HMFH/DBVW met with teachers on November 5th during their Professional Development Day.  Various space layouts and furniture/equipment proposals were reviewed, and feedback was received from the teachers.  The consultant team also visited the existing high school’s CTE, fitness and life skills spaces.  Additional user group meetings will be scheduled with representatives from guidance, nurse, administration and food service soon.

·         Ed then shared some interior design updates with the Committee.  He first showed the Middle School STEM / Project Areas.  There will be two of them, and while the project areas are adjacent to the STEM Lab, these spaces will be flexible areas that can be used by anyone.  Different color ceiling clouds will provide separate structures to make the space more interesting and to help with sound absorption.

·         Ed provided an update on the gymnasium based on feedback from the athletic staff.  Bleachers will be on the north and south sides of the area and will provide ~700 seating capacity.   With the addition of loose chairs on the floor, a seating capacity of ~1300 is possible.  PE storage areas and the athletic director’s office are located off the west side of the gymnasium.  Motorized curtains will allow the space to be split into two or four spaces to be used simultaneously for physical education classes if needed.  Safety devices are available for the curtains, but they are rarely used.  The touch control panel will be behind a locked access door and within sight lines of the curtains, so the vendor doesn’t recommend safety devices.  The consultant team is working with the PE staff to determine the line striping on the floor, including the color scheme for the striping.  The floor will be comprised of engineered wood and will be floating.

·         The alternate PE space upstairs is a half gym and will have a ceiling suspended mat mover for wrestling mats as well as a ceiling suspended batting cage.  It will have a resilient synthetic floor.  The equipment for the weight room next door is still being finalized with input from the PE teachers.  Doors between the alternate PE space and the weight room were added based on feedback from the PE teachers.  The weight room area has been opened to allow for space for an entire PE class if desired.  The weight room flooring will be recycled rubber, and mirrors will be installed on two sides of the room.

·         The consultant team met with the Tree Commission on November 19th.  The meeting went well.  The Tree Commission will be actively involved with the selection of the trees at the time of planting, as availability of certain species will dictate what gets purchased.  The consultant team will mark which trees will be impacted by construction and will work with the Tree Commission regarding which will be moved versus replaced.  The existing stone wall will be relocated to another area of the site.

·         A Public Safety meeting with police and fire representatives took place earlier today (11/20) and it went well.  Fire access, cameras and lighting were reviewed.  Both deputy chiefs have copies of the plans to review and can come back with any feedback to the consultants.  As both the fire and police chiefs are leaving, both deputy chiefs have been involved throughout.

·         A meeting is planned for November 22nd with the Town Solicitor to determine Planning Board next steps.

·         A response from RIDE on the elementary school DD submission comments that were resubmitted is anticipated in the coming week or two.

·         The state Fire Board hearing is scheduled for December 3rd to review the waiver for indoor window sprinklers.

·         Elementary school cost estimates are due back on December 12th.

·         The Middle-High School 60% CD cost estimate set is anticipated to be completed by December 16th, with cost estimates expected back by mid-January.

·         The update from HMFH/DBVW can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gl7PtkcerOyb98sqjfHGHjWNQ9znQ86i/view?usp=sharing.

4.1   Update on RIDE Stage III Design Development Package Review Resubmission

·         Justin Bernard informed the Committee that the Middle-High School Stage III Design Development Submission was approved on November 5th.  The Elementary School Submission required some responses that were sent to RIDE on November 8th.  Feedback from RIDE is pending.

·         Justin informed the Committee that the project is still on budget ($190 million).  The only change from the last update was a reduction in the contracted amount due to the revised supplemented services request from HMFH that was approved at the last Building Committee meeting.

·         Colin McCarthy informed the Committee that the schedule has not changed, but he wanted to focus on two dates.  The first is January 20, 2025 when the 60% CD Cost Estimates are due back from the estimators, with an additional week thereafter to perform any reconciliation and value engineering, should any be needed.

·         The second date is February 12, 2025, which is the date that the consultants are targeting for the Planning Board Preliminary Plan Review.

·         Don asked about the target date for substantial completion to trigger RIDE reimbursement.  Justin explained that the team needs the summer of 2027 to complete the work on the elementary school complex, so that part of the project will not be complete until August of 2027, pushing reimbursement from RIDE to July of 2028.

4.4   Elementary School Complex Detailed Heating System Investigation

·         Over the past few weeks, the consultant team and contractors have done a detailed investigation of the heating system at the current high school, and they are now looking for finance approval to move forward with equipment procurement.

4.5 Four Week Look Ahead

·         The public safety meeting went well earlier today.

·         60% DD cost estimating support will continue in the coming weeks.

·         Emergency boiler repairs are needed at the Aquidneck Elementary School.  These repairs are outside the $190 million project, but the Town will be eligible for 55% reimbursement as part of the $20 million supplemental request that was included in the Stage II application.

·         The update from Colliers can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SCKYIHxFPQF5dm1kxVB0E0BMVH-9bwyz/view?usp=sharing.

·         At this time (5:55pm) Peter Connerton had to depart to attend a Town Council meeting.

5.1 Consider and Vote on 2025 Building Committee Meeting Schedule

·         Ed reminded the Committee that a proposed 2025 meeting schedule was included in the materials for the Committee for review.  The proposal is to move to meeting twice per month instead of every two weeks.

·         ** MOTION:** Bill Nash moved that the School Building Committee approve the proposed 2025 twice monthly meeting schedule and Marc Thayer seconded.

·         ** DISCUSSION:** The School Committee dates will be updated after they establish their 2025 meeting schedule during their December meeting.

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

·         The proposed calendar can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s75MwxsxRDoTOLLrPuOzIAzJMugQAdEG/view?usp=sharing.

5.2 Project Labor Agreement Update

·         Chair Ed Brady informed that Committee that the Town Council and School Committee will review and approve the proposal to perform a feasibility study for a Project Labor Agreement at the December 16th Town Council meeting.

5.3 Update on Posting for Additional Community Member and Plans for Officer Elections

·         The School Committee will post for an additional community member once Bill Nash is sworn in as a new School Committee member.

5.4 Open Action Item Review

·         Ed explained that he will be working with Don to ensure that action items get closed in a timely manner by including them as part of each subsequent agenda.  Some of the action items have slipped and taken a long time to close.

5.5 Four Week Look Ahead

·         Nothing new to add.

Adjournment:

·         ** MOTION**: Bill Nash moved that the Building Committee adjourn at 6:04pm and Theresa Spengler seconded. The motion passed unanimously (9-0).

Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be on December 18, 2024 at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant Administration Building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Morin