HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-12-09-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Tuesday December 9 1997 Joint School /Permanent Building
Committees meeting in Selectmen' s Meeting Room, Town Office Building, as
approved December 16 , 1997
The meeting began shortly after 7 p m with the approval of minutes by
the PBC before the arrival of most of the non-PBC attendees The
following minutes were APPROVED by VOTE of those present
September 2 , 1997 , as submitted
September 16, 1997 , as submitted
September 18 , 1997 morning meeting, as amended
September 18 , 1997 evening meeting, as submitted, with minor
typographic correction
September 23 , 1997 , as submitted
September 30 , 1997 , as amended
By 7 30 p m , when the meeting was called to order by School Committee
Chairman Barrie Peltz , the following were present School Committee
members Elberger, Neumeier and Rosenberg; all six present members of the
PBC and Owner' s Representative Fay DeAvignon; School Superintendent Jeff
Young and Director of School Building Operation Moynihan; Lexington
Minuteman reporter Les Masterson; Appropriation Committee member Ron
Pawliczek, and members of the public Dawn McKenna, Nickolas Hay, Laura
Kole, Ann Gilbert , Ed Natale and Stephen Tripi
Where do we go from here after the vote? Working from an agenda sent by
Moynihan to the concerned meeting participants, the following issues and
questions were posed Capital improvement and upkeep of school
buildings (including deferred maintenance) must be met annually How do
we take care of the increasing number of pupils?
Young noted that a number of portable classrooms will be needed at the
high school and at Diamond Middle School , more than ever in the past
In addition one special education classroom will be needed at Hastings
The most urgent needs are in the four Phase I schools Safety and
technology improvements per the 5-year plan should go ahead In
addition, the school operating budget is now begin prepared Next year
there will be 115 more students in the high school , allocations are also
being made for an additional 79 students elsewhere in the system Just
today $600 ,000 was cut from the expected allocations for the various
schools Questions remain about the housing of programs and dedicated
spaces Moynihan pointed out that portable classrooms will not be
available and ready to use on the sites until November 1 due to long
lead time from ordering them the day after a town meeting appropriation
vote next spring
PBC members offered these contributions to the discussion Some expert
information is available from the studies and plans now being produced,
where portable classrooms might best be located on sites , for example
Resources should be spread and prioritized among each of the nine
schools We should not lose the knowledge gained from the Archetype and
HMFH studies and plans
Peltz recommended rescue of part of the project An annual $5 to $7
million project would not be reimbursable Kelley pointed out that
PBC Minutes 12/9/97 2
community support cannot be assumed and suggested working with the
people who did not support the override Poinelli urged that whatever
the town does about the schools should be done well Elberger commented
that if a project is "not to be reimbursable is irresponsible " She
called for comprehensiveness in planning and there was agreement on this
around the room Peltz reminded that there is a December 29 for putting
articles on the Town Warrant for the 1998 Annual Town Meeting (This
statement was qualified that only a space for an article must be
reserved by this date, so long as wording is worked out in time for
Selectmen sign the Warrant
A statement for HMFH work through December 23 was distributed to members
of the committees This would be the town's financial liability to the
architects if a suspension were to be authorized tonight and put into
effect tomorrow Pointed out that the part now being completed is the
pricing information - most vital for prioritizing VOTED unanimously by
the PBC that design development for the four Phase I schools should be
completed
Moynihan stated that $1 8 million of the design money voted by Town
Meeting (not involved in the override vote) would be spent for that
purpose through December 23 , and that to close the contract would cost
about $2 million, leaving about $400 ,000 available for further design
work Natale called for total work stoppage on Phase II Progress in
design development reported Fiske not begun, Bowman and Bridge at 25
percent , Estabrook at about 42 percent and Hastings 76 percent Kelley
moved that planning process stop on all Phase II as of December 23
Poinelli offered an amendment to expend $9, 500 to complete design
development on the Hastings School , and this was VOTED unanimously
Then the PBC VOTED unanimously to adopt the amended motion
Employment of Owner' s Representative DeAvianon was approved through
Phase I documentation, with the termination of her contract with the
town to follow that
Meeting portion of School Committee concern ended at 9 10 p m and only
the PBC remained after that
Cary Library concerns were aired Among there Board of Appeals
hearings have been postponed because the architects are running late
Kelley expressed concern about the materials proposed particularly for
siding and roof The architects have been working without contract or
compensation The abutter ' s complaints persist with increased
unreasonableness , it appears PBC called for the scheduling of an
evening meeting with the library building committee, and Chairman
Bruckman will call the Library Director on this urgent need
Meeting adjourned at 9 30 p m
Respectfully submitted,
AML -4
Erna S Greene
Secretary