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Home My WebLink About1996-04-02-BFC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON AD HOC BUILDING FINANCE COMMITTEE Minutes of Meeting April 2 1996 at Cary Memorial Library, as approved April 8 1996 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Kelley at 7 07 a m with all committee members present at that time or shortly thereafter Also attending were architects Melissa Bennett and Stephen Hale and engineer Sergio Siani as well as Capital Expenditures Committee members Karen Dooks , Ron Grammont and David Miller Cary Library staff Carol Mahoney and Julie Triessl were also present New handouts were passed out "Deferred Maintenance Analysis , " dated 4/2/96 and "Final Cost Estimate, " dated 4/1/ 96 As committee members began questioning numbers of the Deferred Main- tenance Analysis , Hale pointed out the new last column labeled "com- ments " For example, the landscaping item is only for bringing the existing entrances into ADA compliance, and carpentry is only for restoration after installing sprinklers and new doors to comply with ADA Hale noted that sprinklers are a "gray area" in the building code However, the local fire chief has authority to order this life-safety measure in prominent public facilities Grammont inquired if the entire building must have sprinklers Response The fire chief was adamant on this issue Library Director Mahoney commented that liability insurance premiums for the building would decrease with sprinklers Committee members inquired about differences between $2 50 and $4 00 cost per square foot for sprinklers and about the $20 ,000 difference in cost to retro-fit the existing building versus the amount for the new construc- tion that includes gutting the existing interior In either case the best wet system would be installed in the heated areas , with a dry system in areas that would be subject to freezing If one head is broken there would be no deluge, since two triggers from two detection systems would be required for turn-on Committee queried the architects on window replacement , with the response that an aggressive equal -profile replacement with double-glazed low-E windows would be recommended Present windows are not energy- efficient and in obvious need of repair and near the end of their expected life-span Furthermore, they allow overexposure of light to the library' s collection On the roof shingle square estimate the committee spotted a typo- graphical error in number of required squares (the numbers should be 148 and 62 , with no ciphers To the question about "ceramic slate" Bennett responded that this material has been increasingly used recently, having been available for five to seven years Director Mahoney added that there is only one bad leak area, perhaps from windows Hale noted that he was not aware of any particular roof-related problem Among other needs to be addressed in renovation are carpeting, a long- existing problem, according to Pierce Painting is estimated at $2 a square foot ADA space requirements call for new partitions and plumbing in the rest rooms, water-conserving devices will be installed Ad Hoc Building Finance Committee Minutes 4/2/96 - Page 2 in addition Since the present elevator shaft is too small to accom- modate ADA specified dimensions , a second elevator will be installed during proposed renovation Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is at or near the end of its life span Two gas-fired boilers are recommended, the primary would be for gas only and would carry 60 percent of the load The other might be dual-fueled, with type of combustion to be determined through "value engineering" at time of construction The present oil tanks (two 1 ,000 gallon that Eagle said could be upgraded to 1998 standards for $5 , 000 to $7 ,000) could be left in the ground In response to an inquiry, Siani said gas air conditioning is not recom- mended at this time, since there is not enough experience with use of this equipment An 80-ton capacity would be needed, with a central chiller and zoned controls A structure at the corner of the parking lot where the dumpster now sits would contain multiple ( 4) compressor- /evaporators - a redundancy for fail -safe operation HVAC-related maintenance and control issues will soon be under the jurisdiction of the Public Works to take advantage of coordinated management and bulk purchasing, as DPW Director George Woodbury is working toward in general energy purchase by a consortium of munici- palities Asbestos abatement and duct work cleaning are essential so that the air-handling system can be balanced Duct lining is not recommended for environmental reasons , however, sound-attenuating material may be added on the outside of the ducts (Later told that a report on asbestos and lead removal is expected from an environmental firm later this week ) Humidifying and filtration of air are also needed A computer-based control system of energy management is planned to replace the present nearly inoperative pneumatic controls The electrical system is presently overloaded and an insufficient number of outlets are poorly organized and mapped The present system ideally should be removed and reorganized with new handling terminals Will the amounts on the "Deferred Maintenance" sheet take care of high-tech needs � of the future Answer No, the $50 , 000 and $15 , 000 listed costs are only to untangle current problems New construction would have pop-open raceways for electric power lines to allow maximum flexibility Present lighting is a maintenance nightmare, especially in the big room, stated Mahoney The quality is poor all over, chimed in Hale New F construction lighting would be indirect and soft yet comfortable and adequate Emergency lighting would also be supplied Security systems now are working but there are some problems Public bidding figures on the deferred maintenance sheet were termed "low" Added Grammont "There's no sense in public bidding " Total construction estimate still stands at $7 , 744 , 164 on the "final " sheet dated 4/1/96 Revisions are coming, mostly in the communications , security and plumbing areas Stated later that the "deferred main- tenance" sheet will be fine-tuned more Noted that ADA requirements kick in at 20 percent of assessed valuation renovation The assessed value of the building, not including the collection is $11 million Mahoney obtained this figure through the town' s insurance company 1 Ad Hoc Building Finance Committee Minutes 4/2/96 - Page 3 The maximum state grant request has been calculated at $2 , 698 , 249 This figure does not include any floating furnishings , with an estimated cost of $480 000 that must be absorbed by trustees ' fund raising The library forces hope that 100 percent of the grant request will be awarded by the state Discussion of the article for the town' s ap- propriation (Article 14) will come up May 1 Jenkins asked for another more specific tour of the building Committee agreed on one more meeting for dialogue on priorities - Monday April 8 at 7 a m at the School Administration Building Harrington School improvement appropriations to be requested in Article 21 at the 1996 Town Meeting will be $349 , 000 short , according to a cost estimate from A M Fogarty and Associates , Moynihan told the committee He said that possibly the $100 ,000 could be squeezed out of the $800 , 000 estimate, but that would still not be able to cover replacement of windows as well as roof and HVAC replacement Moynihan suggested that if any money were left over after doing the roof and HVAC he might use it to address safety-driven repairs to existing windows With the addition of $290 ,000 left from a 1994 $2 million capital appropriation for schools, there might be about $80 , 000 for window repair Screens would be supplied only in lavatories as a safety measure, but not in classrooms, since the school has lived without screens for over 40 years already A date for consideration of Article 21 (school capital funds) has not been set Position of committee That all but windows should be accomplished and that additional available funds should be spent on safely repairs to the present Harrington windows , that design assignment should remain the same - to include design of the windows (approximately $60 ,000) VOTED to support this position and to support Moynihan in appropriate actions to implement Meeting adjourned at 9 17 a m until Monday, April 8 , as noted above Respectfully submitted, Erna S Greene, Secretary