HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-03-18-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Tuesday March 18 1997 Meetina in the Selectmen' s Meeting
Room, Town Office Building, as approved May 20 , 1997
The meeting was called to order by temporary Chairman Peter Kelley, at
7 42 p m with other committee members Himmel , Johnson, and Touart
present Also present were School Committee members Peltz and Dini , as
well as Director of School Buildings Operation Moynihan Also attending
were Dawn McKenna and Emily Silberberg of the Enablement Committee
Chairman Bruckman presented the school building project to the Selectmen
Monday ( last) night The School Committee are requesting an
appropriation of $2 4 million that would be increased to $2 8 million
for design development of the entire project which is presently
estimated to cost $82 million Peltz reported selectmen' s hesitancy
about the first step, believing that would mean buying the whole
project
The final report from HMFH is now out , with details that the committee
has been fed over the past few months contained in the appendix The
RFP for the design development will be advertised in the Lexington
Minuteman Thursday, and it was in the register last week Basically the
town would be buying a two-phase contract , a flexible division of nine
project (in the nine schools) that could be fulfilled by two or three
and possibly more firms The due date for proposals is April 17
Inquiries have already come in
Phase I of the complete design development would be 35 percent of the 10
percent of project would buy definition of scope of project sufficient
to get a good estimate of cost The second phase would be construction
documents Some of the $2 8 million would be reserved for retrieval in
case the project is rejected so that the schools can accomplish what
must be done at the middle schools Noted that a sizeable output of
manpower would be needed in design development A detailed work
statement would be required Also emphasized was the importance of
keeping momentum of the project to propel it toward the June 1 deadline
for applications for the 59 percent reimbursement A time line for
expenditure and plan for handling crises and possible exit strategy will
be called for
Possible selection procedures were discussed briefly Acceptance of
three proposals could be likely In the middle schools almost as much
new construction is planned as in all six elementary schools Himmel
explained the process of negotiating with and hiring a design firm and
also about filed subbids and also how a number of protected trades get
on a list by bidding ahead of time He also asked if effort (hours of
work) could be predicted for implementation of design development If
four people worked on each site, 36 people would be needed to spend $2 4
million by a fall special town meeting
The project contains three elements (1) additions , (2) renovations and
(3) site work Division into three projects favored (a) high school ,
(b) middle schools and (3) elementary schools
PBC Minutes of 3/18/97 - Page 2
Permanent Building Committee's input on the HMFH plan is needed now to
contractors and constituencies in town Dawn McKenna urged an
informational effort in advance of any referendum or override vote
campaign Concern was expressed that the design team must also be
prepared to interface with the community and inform the public This
note could be injected into the information meeting soon to be held for
those hoping to submit design development proposals Would-be designers
should also be advised to send only principals and project managers to
selection interviews
With a project of the enormity of what is now proposed for the schools
the town should hire a person to coordinate the process When this
person should come one was debated A job description for the
oversight/management/public relations role is needed
At Town Meeting Joe Dini will be doing a 20 minute presentation for the
school committee Peter Kelley volunteered to speak for the PBC Both
financial committees need to be sold on the project and to have all
their doubts and questions answered
Meeting adjourned at 9 25 p m
Respectfully submitted,
Erna S Greene, Secretary