AVON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY RENOVATIONS & ADDITION PROJECT
BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES
JUNE 16, 2010
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Chairperson Diane Hornaday in the Avon Room Town Hall Building 1. Members present: Chairperson Diane Hornaday, Diane Carney, Secretary David Goldsholl, Barbara Leonard, Scott Boos and Janet Stokesbury. Member absent: J. Tad Kuziak. Also in attendance were Town Manager Brandon Roberston, Assistant to the Town Manager Steve Bartha, Library Director Virginia Vocelli and Architect Peter Wells.
Mr. Robertson introduced the new Assistant to the Town Manager Steve Bartha. Mr. Bartha brings experience from the CT State Office of Policy and Management and municipal experience from an internship with the Town of Farmington.
II. MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETING – MAY 19, 2010
Mr. Goldsholl motioned, Ms. Leonard seconded and all agreed to accept the May 19, 2010 minutes as written. Ms. Stokesbury abstained as she was absent from the meeting.
III. COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE
None.
IV. COMMUNICATION FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Ms. Hornaday relayed that the Town Council authorized the continuance of the project with its permission to proceed with the preparation of the construction documents. Mr. Robertson added that the completed drawings will then be presented to the Town Council for a decision to proceed from there. The amount from the Town would not exceed $8 million with the shortfall being made up by fundraising and savings found by remaining in the building during construction, using existing furniture as well as in fuel costs savings. Mr. Goldsholl suggested reworking the current budget to show how we are doing in certain areas. Mr. Boos added that Enterprise Builders would be working closely with the architect to make sure we were within the revised budget. Mr. Goldsholl also added that it was clear that monies saved would go back to
the Town. Mr. Wells said that numbers will move as we go along and he will be working closely with Enterprise throughout the project. He is scheduled to meet with Enterprise as well as the consultants tomorrow.
Ms. Hornaday briefly spoke with Mr. Robertson about the possibility of having a public meeting to tell the residents where the savings could be realized with a new lower budget, in order to allay fears of possible padding of the original figure. She also emphasized the continual need to keep them informed about the project. Mr. Boos added that the project was born out of a need to build a library and not out of a desire to obtain a million dollars in grant money. He added that the grant money would be a bonus to us. Mr. Goldsholl said that the way to explain it is that we had hoped for the money but to look too at the ways we can adjust to work without it. Ms. Carney added that the “bottom line” the Town Council is telling us is to do the project for a million less.
V. STATE GRANT STATUS
Mr. Robertson said the next Bond Commission scheduled meeting is June 25th and is still on, as far as he knows, but did not include an agenda. Ms. Stokesbury questioned whether the election of a new governor would help to move things along. Mr. Bartha added that the budget hole for the State next year is $3 billion and no one knows what FY2012 will bring.
VI. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
The construction manager was not present at the meeting for comment.
VII. REVIEW – DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Wells presented several minor changes to the design. He enlarged the area in front of the circulation desk to better improve the staff’s line of sight. The history room will shrink a little. The drive-up book drop will include a sidewalk and sides to facilitate usage by pedestrians as well. The current book drop at the entrance will be removed. Regarding the courtyard, Mr. Wells will be meeting to determine the pervious and impervious surface area that he will have to work with and plan from there. He hopes to create it as a very usable area for community in addition to its library functions. One of the savings to be realized is with not having to replace the septic system, which was originally oversized, and will nicely accommodate the new addition. Ms. Vocelli likes the out of the way location of the kitchen
in relation to the community room as it is hidden from the general public.
Changes in the first floor create more space on the second floor for the storefront picture area. Wavy lines on the drawing show where the carpet colors will change to create a pathway. Mr. Wells suggested adding a “family bathroom” which would enable adults to bring their children into the bathroom with them, featuring adult and child size sinks and toilets, and is very popular in design today.
Ms. Hornaday discussed the advantage of using a standard pound per square foot floor support throughout the building which will allow for future changes in the location of heavy book shelves for added flexibility.
Mr. Wells presented a basement egress plan he had discussed with Fire Marshal James DiPace. He wanted to show that fire code compliance changes with the “use” of space, which will then determine the square footage allowed each person for egress. Mr. Wells also cautioned to have only one use for the space as more than one would require special fire spraying which is not included in the budget for the project. Ms. Hornaday originally emphasized in the project’s presentation to the Town Council, the Town’s desperate need for storage space. She told of the Registrar’s need for ballot and equipment storage and assumed this added storage space’s (new basement area) availability. Mr. Wells said that it was really an interpretation of code (fire separation) and that he wanted people to
understand “use.” Mr. Robertson suggested that Mr. Wells consult with the Building Official, James Sansone, to address the fire separation issue prior to a decision. Ms. Hornaday emphasized the need to keep the public informed about these issues.
Mr. Wells continued that he is meeting regularly with the construction manager and the consultants to prepare the drawings and hopes to be ready with bids by October or earlier. He is also trying to get on the Planning & Zoning July 20th agenda to get the site plan approved. All engineered drawings (ex. drainage) should be ready by June 30th for that meeting. He added that it takes between six and eight weeks from going out to bid to signing the contract. The expected date to open is January, 2012.
VIII. OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Wells presented an invoice for payment that he received in November, 2009 for a flow control test. Ms. Hornaday suggested for now and the future that he pays these types of bills and then invoices the Town.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, July 21st at 7:00 PM in the Avon Room. Ms. Hornaday suggested keeping the meeting dates tentative in case there is not enough to discuss for the agenda. Mr. Wells will continue to work on the construction documents. He explained that Enterprise Builders has target numbers they work off of and that these can be brought down. Mr. Boos said they should come to us with bid estimates before they go out with numbers they feel fairly confident about. Hopefully, we’ll have estimates by the August 4th meeting to present to the Town Council at their August 5th meeting.
Mr. Boos discussed the possibility of salvaging some of the windows from the current building. Ms. Hornaday suggested looking to this for small savings if needed. Mr. Wells mentioned that recycling building materials for use in the current building or given away for use in another is part of LEED and similar programs’ criteria for compliance. Mr. Hornaday suggested even recycling to the Habitat for Humanity, for example.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Ms. Leonard motion, Ms. Carney seconded and all agreed to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 PM. None opposed.
Recorded by:
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Susan Gatcomb, Staff Person
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David Goldsholl, Secretary
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