Apr. 9, 2025 - Building Committee Meeting

Approved April 30, 2025

MPS BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Oliphant Administration Building

Michael S. Pinto Conference Room

26 Oliphant Lane, Middletown, RI 02842

April 9, 2025 5:00pm

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 |
| N | Yes | Peter Connerton | Town Council Member |
| R | Yes | Donna Sweet | Middletown High School Principal |
| X | Yes | Michelle Fonseca | Asst Superintendent for Teaching and Learning |
| X* | 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 |
| X | Alternate | Jerry Haas | Gaudet Middle School Principal |
| N | Alternate | Marc Tanguay | Town Finance Director, Alt. Local Budget Official |

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

• Michelle Fonseca joined via Zoom.

** Shawn Brown arrived at 5:12pm, increasing the quorum to eleven (11) members.

• 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  Anthony Murgida, Gilbane Building Company.

• Present via Zoom: Matt LaRue, Tina Stanislaski and Justin Viglianti, HMFH Architects, Ed  Cifune, DBVW Architects, Aaron Farbo, Cavanaugh-Tocci Associates.

• MOTION: Tom Welch moved to accept the meeting minutes from March 26, 2025 and Bill  Nash seconded.

• ** DISCUSSION: **None.

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

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• Attorney Bill O’Gara of Pannone, Lopes, Devereaux & O’Gara LLC provided the Building  Committee with a summary of his findings from the analysis to evaluate the possible use of  a project labor agreement for the new Middletown Middle-High School.

• Mr. O’Gara stated that entering into a project labor agreement would assure stability of  trades, such that in the event of strikes or picketing, the work on the project will not stop. • This removes the risk of labor disruption, guaranteeing sufficient labor, particularly with the  shortage of construction labor due to the number of school projects in the state. Large  construction projects in RI in 2025 tend to have a project labor agreement in place. • Gregory Mancini of Build Rhode Island added that there are currently twenty-five projects in  RI that have project labor agreements in place.

• Mr. Mancini added that over the past twenty-five years, the unions have never had a  problem with providing sufficient labor for a project with a project labor agreement in place.  More and more Massachusetts subcontractors are supporting work in RI due to a downturn  in the need for skilled labor in Massachusetts currently. RI unions can draw from regional  and national labor unions to assist with labor should the need arise.

• Mr. Mancini explained that the standard project labor agreement will include goals for  apprenticeships and Gilbane will work with the Town of Middletown to establish the goals  for the number of apprenticeships in a variety of trades.

• When asked about the impact on cost, Mr. O’Gara stated that there will be an impact on  cost, but the types of companies that can provide the labor for this project are all union  subcontractors, except for possibly painting and electrical work.

• The next step is for Gilbane to work with Build Rhode Island to enter into an agreement with  the building trades. Mr. Mancini expects that this will take no more than a few weeks.

• Matt LaRue introduced Aaron Farbo from Cavanaugh-Tocci Associates to walk the  Building Committee through the exterior noise sound study that was performed in the  summer of 2024.

• Mr. Farbo explained that his company performed a sound study for the new middle-high  school to understand the impact that the new building HVAC equipment will have on  the neighbors.

• A baseline study was performed to understand that ambient sound levels during the day  and night. A design goal was established to limit the sound to 5-10 dBA above the  ambient sound level. The new equipment falls well under the design goal and the  Town’s noise ordinance. In fact, the new equipment should be quieter than the existing  equipment at the current Gaudet School.

• Ed Cifune shared a picture of the proposed elementary school complex elevator Add  Alternate location. This location puts it closer to the main entrance, leverages

accessibility in the second story wing and preserves classroom space.

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• The first round of bid reviews took place this week between Gilbane, HMFH and Colliers.  The concrete bids were reviewed earlier in the day, and sitework and structural steel bid  reviews will take place next week.

• A meeting is scheduled to kick off the bidding process with Bentley for the Elementary  School process on April 10th.

• RFI’s and the issuance of addenda will continue.

• An update on the exterior building signage will be shared at the next Building  Committee meeting on 4/30/25.

• The update from HMFH/DBVW can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1- O1wL4FfVuifliLsqU7z1bZXPWE9ziWy/view?usp=sharing.

4.3 Middle-High School Emergency Generator Alternate

• Matt LaRue reminded the Committee that an alternate for an upgraded generator from  550kW to 800kW along with additional electrical circuit work is included in the current  bid package.

• Chairman Ed Brady asked HMFH to explore the possibility of a portable generator  docking unit. This would require the addition of an 800A/480V/3-Phase standby  subsystem with a manual transfer switch at the connection of a portable unit and may  need additional electrical panels for break-out loads. A dumpster would have to be  moved to allow for a portable generator to be placed adjacent to the existing generator.  The cost impact to the base bid is not yet known, but HMFH has been in contact with  their subcontractor for a possible cost estimate.

• Town Administrator Brown explained that funding for the larger generator is running  through the state budget process now and availability of funds from the state should be  known by June 30th.

5.1 RIDE 60% CD Submission Update

• Justin Bernard informed the Committee that Colliers received some feedback from RIDE  on the new middle-high school on April 1st to confirm that the design is conforming to  the 2018 international energy conservation code and not the 2024 code. Colliers  confirmed this with RIDE. No feedback has been received yet on the Design

Development package for the elementary school complex.

5.2 RI Energy Incentives at ES Complex Update

• An initial walkthrough with Vision Energy Associates and ATC to perform energy  assessments at the current high school took place on March 28th. A lighting application  to determine an incentive amount was uploaded to the RI Energy portal. A more  detailed assessment of the mechanical systems will take place during school vacation  week (week of April 14).

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5.3 Materials Testing RFP Status

• The Materials Testing RFP was posted on April 3rd, ahead of schedule. Proposals are  expected back by April 25th. No questions have been received to date.

• Colliers hopes to have feedback from RIDE on the Elementary School DD submission and  the Middle-High School 60% CD submission by the next Building Committee meeting.  • Elementary school subcontractor bidding has begun, and the first set of bids are  expected back by the end of the month for RTA (Request to Authorize) reviews to take  place at the Building Committee meeting on May 14th.

• Middle-High School bid reviews will continue in the coming weeks, with the first group  of RTAs anticipated for review at the April 30th Building Committee meeting.

• The groundbreaking ceremony for the new middle-high school is tentatively planned for  June 16th, but this date is negotiable, and Colliers/Gilbane will work with the School  Superintendent and Town Administrator to pick the best date for this.

• The update from Colliers can be viewed here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bgveD5H3K_i7f7_ivRvMlluuDr9yF9Mg/view?usp=shari ngj.

6.1 Discussion on Elevator Add Alternate at Middle/High School

• Chair Ed Brady explained that the Building Committee must determine whether to add  the second elevator to the Middle/High School project at the next meeting on April 30th.  • Jerry Haas stated that he worries about not having an elevator on the Middle School  side for those who have mobility issues. He is also concerned about not having  redundancy for an elevator.

• Ed Collins added that a three and four-floor building this size with this many students  and staff justifies a second elevator.

• Superintendent Niemeyer added that asking staff to carry books, materials, supplies,  etc. up three flights of stairs is a lot to ask. He is also concerned with separation of the  two schools.

• Bill Nash stated that the single elevator is relatively close to the middle school and asked  if the potential usage of the elevator is known. The elevator costs a lot of money that  could be used for other purposes, and he would like to better understand the need for  the elevator.

• Matt LaRue shared a drawing to show that the distance between the high school  elevator and the proposed middle school elevator is about one hundred feet. The major  costs for the alternate elevator will be included in the first bid package.

• Bill Nash asked if there was a standard for the number of elevators needed in a school  this size. HMFH stated that the Saugus Middle-High School has two elevators and with a  school this size, a second elevator is very useful, although not required.

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• Superintendent Niemeyer added that it is critical for a wheelchair bound child to be able  to easily access a three-story building. Middletown also has a very senior staff, and it’s a  lot to ask for an older teacher to walk up three flights of stairs daily.

• Marc Thayer added that having a backup to a single elevator needs to be seriously  considered. If a single elevator is down, mobility-impaired students and staff won’t be  able to get to upper floors easily.

• Tami Holden shared that staff often transport carts of supplies, such as art teachers and  the lack of an elevator on the middle school side will impact the ability for staff to easily  transport materials from one floor to another.

6.2 Discussion on Roof Screen Add Alternate at Middle/High School

• The Building Committee must decide whether to accept the roof screen add-alternate at  its April 30th meeting. Chair Ed Brady and Ed Collins had concerns about noise with the  new middle-high school rooftop equipment.

• The presentation shared earlier in the meeting by Aaron Farbo confirmed that noise  screening is not needed.

• The decision needed at the April 30th meeting involves the structural steel that will be  needed to support the visual roof screen add alternate.

6.3 Discussion on Emergency Generator Add Alternate at Middle/High School • The discussion about the emergency generator took place earlier in the meeting and a  decision is not needed on this item until the August timeframe.

6.4 Three Week Look Ahead

• Ed Brady, Bill Nash and Ed Collins are participating in various meetings with the  contractors.

• Anthony Murgida of Gilbane said that they are refining the construction schedule now.  Don asked if a schedule can be shared with the Building Committee at an upcoming  meeting, either via Colliers or from Gilbane, and they agreed that they could.

• Marc Thayer asked where unsuitable soils removed during construction will be stored  and Anthony Murgida stated that this will be handled through the bid process. Justin  Bernard added that the Hoogendoorn property is an option being considered.

Adjournment:

• ** MOTION**: Tom Welch moved for the Building Committee to adjourn at 6:24pm and Bill  Nash seconded. The motion passed unanimously (11-0).

Future Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be on April 30, 2025 at 5:00p.m. at the Oliphant  Administration Building.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Morin

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