Town of Newbury
Public Safety Complex Committee
~ MINUTES ~
DATE: July 31, 2013 Approved as written, 9/4/2013
Present: Martha Taylor, Sam Joslin, John Lucey Jr., Keith Grant, and Curtis Walton
Absent: Tracy Blais, Rob Serino, Patty Fisher
The meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m.
GOAL AND PHASES OF THE PROJECT
GOAL: To design & build a public safety complex for the Town of Newbury that will house the Newbury Police Department, Newbury Fire / Protection 2 and Emergency Management with space and resources to accommodate both agencies needs for the next 50 years while renovating the pre-existing building to accommodate Town Hall services.
- Deficiency Report
- Feasibility Report
- Design Phase
- Construction & Renovation Phases
OLD BUSINESS / PENDING ACTION ITEMS:
ACTION: Tracy is to obtain a survey of the three properties owned by Protection #2 and the Town-owned parcel on which Town Hall is located.
UPDATE: Contract has been executed with ARC Surveying and Engineering Associates, Inc.
ACTION: Tracy to look into ownership of property vs. lease with NFD – she has been in touch with Town Counsel, Ginny Kremer, who will advise on the options and their ramifications.
UPDATE: Town Counsel has provided a memo advising that a long-term (e.g. 99 year) lease is possible, but stating that if the Town chooses to pursue this option, a very secure leasehold will need to be structured.
PENDING: NFD to contact an attorney who will review options presented to them by the Town when t he time comes.
ACTION: The PD, the NFD, and Town Hall Departments are to fill out space needs questionnaires prepared by CSS, the study architect, and return them to Sam no later than 7/16/13. Sam will provide a copy to each department.
UPDATE: All questionnaires have been returned to Sam and passed on to the architect; Sam is waiting for a response. The next step will be for the Committee to meet with the architect to review the preliminary space needs findings and determine whether anything has been missed. Sam will schedule and advise on date.
ACTION: Martha and Sam are to review the existing conditions plans for Town Hall and determine what functions should be relocated downstairs.
UPDATE: Sam has reviewed the Town Hall floor plans and made recommendations for reallocation of space on the first floor and submitted a wish list of functions to be accommodated in the basement. Schematic plans from the architect are pending.
ACTION: A Chairperson is needed for the Committee; a vote will be postponed until all members are present.
NEW BUSINESS
ACTION: Curtis advised on a USDA loan/grant program available for constructing public safety facilities in small communities. More information is needed to determine whether this program can be used to help fund Newbury’s proposed public safety complex.
ACTION: Sam noted that about 100 linear feet of storage is needed for Town Hall records based on the amount currently being stored off-site. Storage will need to be factored into the space needs for the complex. He is investigating the possibility of digitizing records in the future.
CONSIDERATIONS / QUESTIONS FOR FUTURE
QUESTION: How might the influx of school population and seasonal renters impact the project in terms of staffing needs for the PD and FD?
ACTION: Martha to determine what the seasonal vs. permanent populations are and how many seasonal rentals there are on P.I.
QUESTION: Will the feasibility study include the cost of renovating the Town Hall basement to be acceptable for Town Hall use?
NEEDS: Town Hall and new facility must be ADA compliant. Idea – perhaps create a catwalk between the new building and Town Hall that might house the elevator.
NEEDS: Water & sewer needs to be brought into the area for both Town Hall and new building.
ACTION: Tracy is to look into coordinating cost of project with retiring debt. Tracy has spoken to First Southwest. This action item will take place later on in the project.
SCHEDULE: Curtis inquired about estimated start date for construction. Sam anticipates approximately three years.
MINUTES
MOTION: A motion was made by S. Joslin and seconded by J. Lucey Jr. to approve the minutes of July 24, 2013 as written. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 a.m.
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 @ 9:00 a.m.
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