MINUTES
JOINT MEETING
WATERTOWN BOARD OF EDUCATION
PUBLIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE
Monday, April 13, 2009 – 7:00 PM
Polk School Library
Present: Karen Baldwin, Superintendent of Schools
Gina Calabrese, Chairman, Board of Education
Mary Colangelo, Board Secretary
Tom Lambert, Board of Education
Richard Mazzamaro, Board Vice Chair
Joe Apicella, Board of Education
Gary Miller, Interim Director of District Operations
Fred Khericha, Kaestle Boos Associates
Robert Porter, Chair, PBC Committee
John Chipko, PBC Member
David Demirs, PBC Member
Antonio Addona, PBC Member
Mark Guerrera, PBC Member
Mario Mancini, PBC Member
1. Meeting convened at 7:00 pm by Mr. Porter, PBC Chairman and Ms. Calabrese, Board chairman.
2. Roll Call – Everyone present stated their names.
3. Discussion of bidding packages and alternates for Polk School.
Mr Khericha: In the bid package, we have created some alternates from the last time, we’ve streamlined and eliminated some of them because we didn’t think that it’s going to fly. We tried to minimize it so we didn’t have a long list. We did review with the Facilities Committee and with the Superintendent and with the principal to make sure they are all on the same page.
As part of this bid they’re going to have about 8 alternates.
The first alternate is athletic field improvement. There are some concerns with the drainage of the field but based on what the money was available, it was decided from the last time also that doesn’t alter that and we are keeping it exactly the same.
Alternate #2 is for metal lockers. One of the requests during design phases was the option to put new lockers. In the base bid we are repairing existing lockers and we are refinishing all the lockers. If the funds are available, we can replace with new lockers.
Alternate #3 is for tile carpeting that the school principal had requested. It was asked for 2/3 carpet and 1/3 VCT. In the base bid all the classrooms have VCT floors.
Alternate #4,5,6 are basically mechanical and electrical. 4 is air handling, 5 is digital control system and 6 is the fire alarm equipment.
Basically we created these alternates because the other two schools have specified manufacturers. We wanted to make sure that we can try and keep the consistency of the same manufacturer here, but the state law does not allow it. We have to put three manufacturers. What we have done is we have put the manufacturer with specify with an alternate to say that rather design one all over again, all the specs are being portrayed. We have identified the manufacturer that we want to use as an alternate and say if people want to use this manufacturer, what would be the potential cost added or deducted? Once we get all those numbers then we can decide that. Basically 4,5,6 is strictly the change in manufacturers.
Same goes for alternate #7 for the door hardware. A request was made by Ray Ceniccola to change some door manufacturer for the locks that closes. We used on the two projects, but same thing because of the state requirements, we are making it as an alternate for specific manufacturer.
The last alternate was final cleaning. We added those alternates and the reason being is we wanted to know what would it cost to do a final cleaning of the project. However experience with the school, with Swift and the other school it’s final cleaning is done by (inaudible). We just want to know what the dollars and cents would be and where the numbers come from. Those are the alternates.
Mr. Demirs: Can we get a copy of this thorough list of this, all of us for the next meeting please?
Mr. Khericha: I’ll email it.
Mr. Porter: We’ll have it for Wednesday’s meeting. Are there any questions?
Mr. Lambert: What was 5 again?
Mr. Khericha: Alternate 5 was digital control system, temperatures.
Mr. Mazzamaro: Have you gotten a feel for the atmosphere with the general contractors? You mentioned the metal lockers, if there is money left. With the economy being the way it is and with how slow business is, is there any feel for competitiveness and the pricing. Has it changed much since last year in your opinion?
Mr. Khericha: So far all the bids which are coming in, when we hear, the numbers are coming in somewhere 10-20% below budget.
Mr. Porter: I think it was a million plus in Waterbury at one of the schools.
Mr. Miller: I spoke with Dave Wedge on Monday because I was down at the Judson playground and he said they’re trying to encourage towns because this is the time. Money’s cheap. Contractors are just trying to keep their people engaged. They don’t want to lay off. I know a lot of big projects in the state are coming in at 60 or 70% below the original estimates.
Mr. Chipko: When are the bids due?
Mr. Khericha: As it stands right now, May 14th the bids will be received at 2:30 at Town Hall Annex and we will be open at 4:00 in the Polk School Library.
Mr. Porter: And the pre-bid conference is?
Mr Khericha: The pre-bid is scheduled for April 30th at 3:30 in the Polk School cafeteria.
Mr. Miller: Is it a mandatory pre-bid?
Mr. Khericha: No
Mr. Lambert: Lower bids are the first bit of good news in a millennium. That’s great.
Mr Khericha: Well we had the first bit of good news with DEP. They came around and said we don’t have to tie the line and I think that was the first good news.
Mr. Porter: That was economy driven also.
MOTION made Mr. Chipko, sec. by Mr. Demirs
To accept the bidding packages and alternates as presented.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
MOTION made by Mr. Mazzamaro, sec. by Mr. Lambert
To accept the bidding packages and alternates for Polk School.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
Mr. Porter: Any further issues?
Mr. Demirs: I’ve got some comments to make. We don’t know what contractor we’re going to have run this job as of right now.
Mr. Porter: It’s a general contractor, a GC bid.
Mr. Demirs: When we do find out who we give this bid to and when I’d like to see some kind of background, some kind of portfolio, I want to see what kind of work these people have done. If they did any municipality work, I want a reference from that municipality. I want to know where these people are from, what they’re doing, what they’ve done. I want to know everything about them.
Mr Khericha: We require them to supply all their qualifications and references and once we get it, we share that with the building committee. If you want additional references, we’ll request it.
Mr. Demirs: I want to know where they’ve been, what they’ve done. I want to know what’s going on.
Mr Khericha: We review the list with the building committee so the building committee chooses to make a call on their own.
Mr. Porter: It is my understanding that the bidders need to be approved by the State of Connecticut. That protection is there.
Mr. Demirs: I just think we need to be very careful in what we do.
Mr Khericha: And another thing, once we do that we’ll have a meeting with the contractor, talk to the contractor and any participation from either a board member or the PBC would be welcome.
Mr. Demirs: Is it going to be unionized, no union?
Mr Khericha: All we can ask for is prevailing rates.
Mr. Demirs: So that makes our job much harder. We’ve got to keep an eye on this.
Mr. Porter: It would be (inaudible) of work just like we did the firehouse.
Mr. Mazzamaro: This person would give monthly reports?
Mr. Porter: It’s a little bit different than a construction manager but basically, when we did the fire station, Bob Sullivan gave us a monthly status report and that included progress to date, work that’s completed, work that needs to be completed.
MOTION made by Mr. Demirs, sec. by Mr. Guerrera. PUBLIC BUILDING COMMITTEE
To adjourn the meeting.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
MOTION made by Ms. Colangelo, sec. by Mr. Lambert. BOARD OF EDUCATION
To adjourn the meeting.
MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
The meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Colangelo, Board Secretary
Patricia Barber
Board Clerk
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