Capital Improvement Committee
& Finance Committee Minutes
Town of Bellingham – Municipal Center
Monday, August 11, 2008
1. FinCom Present: Roland Lavallee, Joseph Collamati, Gary Maynard, Raymond Szczepan, Toni Picariello, Henri Masson
CIC Present: Roland Lavallee, Joseph Collamati, Mary Beth Cuomo, Michael Tobin, Toni Picariello
2. FinCom Absent: Carol Dill
CIC Absent: N/A
3. Meeting called to order: 7:15 pm
4. DATA PROCESSING/FINANCIAL SOFTWARE UPGRADE/SERVER FARM UPGRADE (CFO)
Marilyn Mathieu appeared. Requested amount is $75,000. This is for the Financial System Upgrade, next phase. The funding for the upgrade of the computer system started in 2004 and there are two more years left. That will give the system a 15 year life. We are using a 1994 server. Marilyn Mathieu comments:
This is a planned system wide network upgrade of both hardware and software for our Unified Community Integrated Financial Software. We began planning this upgrade in Fiscal 2003, began funding in Fiscal 2004 and have completed part of the network upgrade in Fiscal 2005. We are beginning the Financial Software Phase I Upgrade for Fiscal 2006. This project was delayed due to the requirements of GASB 34, which necessitated the Finance Office to concentrate on completing the fixed assets.
All work was done in-house and did not hire an outside firm.
FinCom: Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to recommend $75,000 for the next phase of the data processing upgrade. Funding from Overlay surplus. VOTE: 6/0
CIC: Joseph Collamati/Michael Tobin motion to recommend $75,000 for the next phase of the data processing upgrade. Funding from Overlay surplus. VOTE: 5/0
5. POLICE DEPARTMENT – ROOF REPAIR (Chief Daigle)
Gerald Daigle, Police Chief and Denis Fraine appeared. Amount requested is $55,000. A Roof Inspection and Evaluation Report was submitted. The roof would be stripped down to the original roof (which is 45 years old, being built in 1963), and rebuilt. The Board of Selectmen put out a bid for a new roof and the bids will be open the week of August 18, 2008.
The Board of Selectmen had appointed a committee to look at the feasibility of a new police station. They will re-create the committee. There needs to be a plan for a new police station in the near future.
They are looking for approximately $55,000 to repair the roof permanently. They temporarily repaired the roof 3 years ago. The FinCom recommended transferring around $30,000 from the Reserve Fund to the Municipal Buildings Account in 2006. The temporary roof repair job only lasted 3 years. The original $30,000 was not spent, hoping there would be a new police station and the remaining balance went back into the general fund.
The last roof leak was in February 2008. The police department needs to cover all equipment so it will not be ruined by the leaking water. There are 3 layers of roofing that will need to be taken off. They want rubber membrane roofing.
The Committee agreed to reschedule this to a time after the bids are opened.
6. FIRE DEPARTMENT – AMBULANCE (Chief Ranieri)
Chief Ranieri scanned and emailed a copy of the Ambulance specifications to Joseph Collamati. The amount requested is $325,000, but the bids could come in less. Bids will be open on September 3, 2008. Joseph Collamati stated that the specifications were the same as the ones submitted in the spring, but the current one specifies a Ford. Joseph Collamati has a problem with the RFP being specific to only one model.
The Committee agreed to reschedule this to a time closer to the bid opening.
7. SCHOOL DEPARTMENT – BUILDING SECURITY SYSTEM (School Committee)
School Committee members Stephen Patrick, Michael O’Herron, Ronald Martel; Superintendent David Fischer; and Robert Russo appeared. $56,333 is requested. This is for security for the entrance to all the schools. National security issues have risen and the schools are taking a pro-active position for the safety of the children. The PTOs, teachers and administrators have approached the School Committee requesting security regarding people entering the school buildings.
Per the Proposal submitted from Custom Alarm Service, the security system would consist of 2 Audio intercoms, 2 19” DVR video recorders, 1 outdoor color camera, 1 electrified door release. This would cover the front doors to the schools only. The options listed are an extra camera for each school. The cost breakdown for the schools is as follows:
a. Stallbrook, Macy & Middle $7,706.00 each $23,118.00
b. Primavera & South $7,523.00 each $15,046.00
c. High $11,304.76
d. Options (extra camera) $ 6,864.00
The options are for a second camera at all the doors.
The Committee agreed to reschedule this to a time closer to the bid opening on September 10, 2008.
8. DPW – REPAIR BUNGAY BROOK CULVERT, DAMS (Donald DiMartino, DPW)
DAMS: Donald DiMartino appeared. $70,000 is requested for a study and permitting.
Per Donald DiMartino Memo:
We must fund Phase II study at the three dams for which we have receive notices of non-compliance from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR): Caryville on Pearl Street, Jenks Reservoir off of Lake Street, and Crystal Lake, off of Silver Lake Road. The cost proposal from Pare Corporation totals $55,170 as I noted in my email of July 17th. We have received a time extension from DCR with the understanding that work on these three reports begins shortly after the October town meeting. I suggest an appropriation of no less than $70,000. This should complete the Phase II reports and fund the annual (May) condition review that is part of the DCR requirements. The Phase II study is just one of many steps we need to take to get these dams into “Good”
condition. The Phase II studies will clearly define the repairs needed and is the first step to preparing bid documents for dam rehab. Numbers for the construction are estimated as high as $1.6 Million, but that number is a very rough and preliminary estimate. There is no doubt that a ton of work will be needed at the Caryville Dam on Pearl Street. Jenks Reservoir Dam will also need some work, but it is not as high as Caryville so should be less costly. Work will also be needed to complete the breach of Crystal Lake Dam. A breach looks like a viable option, due to the limit number of affected abutters and “nearly swamp” status of the lake.
To breach Crystal Lake Dam, the Town must submit a filing with the State and get permits.
FinCom: Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to recommend $70,000 to fund the Phase II study for three dams: Caryville Dam, Jenks Reservoir Dam, and Crystal Lake Dam. Funding from Free Cash. VOTE: 6/0
CIC: Joseph Collamati/Mary Beth Cuomo motion to recommend $70,000 to fund the Phase II study for three dams: Caryville Dam, Jenks Reservoir Dam and Crystal Lake Dam. Funding from Free Cash. VOTE: 5/0
BUNGAY BROOK CULVERT: Amount requested is $400,000. The committee members have questions regarding the requested amount. Joseph Collamati and Roland Lavallee will meet on August 28, 2008 with Donald DiMartino and Denis Fraine and look at Bungay Brook Culvert. This capital request will be rescheduled until after the meeting.
WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
A. Requested $50,000 for the Filtration Plant Treatment Alternative and Process Analysis and Update. The water coming out of the filtration plant is discolored; this update will ensure clean water.
Per DPW: “…it is behind Stall Brook. Our treatment plant not doing a good job removing the nearly twice as high iron and manganese levels in the raw water from wells 7 & 8, so we need to look at changes to get back to acceptable removal, and clean plant effluent. We will bring in Weston and Sampson, a firm that does engineering and operates similar facilities. They will study the facility and its operation and suggest alternatives and improvements to the treatment process. We have one such plant, they are involved in operations of about 20.”
FinCom: Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to recommend $50,000 for the Filtration Plant Update. Funding from Water Retained Earnings. VOTE: 6/0
CIC: Joseph Collamati/Mary Beth Cuomo motion to recommend $50,000 for the Filtration Plant Update. Funding from Water Retained Earnings. VOTE: 5/0
B. Requested $175,000 for Well 1 and 2 (Cross Street) Rehabilitation and Auxiliary Power.
Per DPW: “We have two small but very old buildings that are the well pump stations and one new 1996 building that is the corrosion control facility. The old buildings 1939 and 1960 are in tough shape and with today’s technology no longer needed. We plan to centralize control of the wells putting all controls in the Corrosion Control building. Once centralized we can easily add auxiliary power. We also will update the wellhead on well #1, replacing the 1939 head with a modern pitless adapter. These are off of Cross Street.”
FinCom: Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to recommend $175,000 to Rehab Wells 1 and 2. Funding from Water Retained Earnings. VOTE: 6/0
CIC: Joseph Collamati/Mary Beth Cuomo motion to recommend $175,000 to Rehab Wells 1 and 2. Funding from Water Retained Earnings. VOTE: 5/0
C. Requested $30,000 for a Pick up Truck with plow. This would replace a 1993 pick up truck with 137,200 miles on it. Joseph Collamati mentioned that he has seen the DPW trucks and they are in bad shape.
FinCom: Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend $30,000 for a pick-up truck with plow. Funding from Water Retained Earnings. VOTE: 6/1 (Toni Picariello).
SEWER SYSTEM
Requested $30,000 for a Pick up Truck with plow. This would replace a 1993 pick up truck with 137,400 miles on it.
FinCom: Roland Lavallee/Joseph Collamati motion to recommend $30,000 for a pick-up truck with plow. Funding from Sewer Retained Earnings. VOTE: 6/1 (Toni Picariello).
9. GENERAL DISCUSSION
A. CIC - Accept Minutes dated July 14, 2008.
Mary Beth Cuomo/Michael Tobin motion to accept the July 14, 2008 minutes. VOTE: 3/0/2 (Roland Lavallee and Joseph Collamati were not at the meeting)
B. FinCom – Accept Minutes dated May 28, 2008 and July 14, 2008.
Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to accept the May 28, 2008 minutes. VOTE: 5/0/1 (Joseph Collamati was not at the meeting)
Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to accept the July 14, 2008 minutes. VOTE: 4/0/2 (Joseph Collamati and Roland Lavallee were not at the meeting)
Adjourned: FinCom: Raymond Szczepan/Joseph Collamati motion to adjourn. VOTE: 6/0. 8:45 pm
CIC: Mary Beth Cuomo/Michael Tobin motion to adjourn. VOTE: 5/0. 8:45 pm
(Accepted October 27, 2008)
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