Center for Emergency services
North Stonington
40 Main Street
North Stonington, Connecticut 06359
860-535-2877
Meeting Minutes of March 2, 2015
ATTENDANCE:
Committee: Chairman Mark Perkins, Vice Chair Joe Cassata, Bob Shabunia, Charles Steinhart V,
Jon Bosman, Marc Tate
Other: Peter Springsteel, Owner’s Representative
David Stein and Dean Petrucelli of Silver Petrucelli Associates
CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting was called to order by Chairman Mark Perkins at 7:05 PM
MINUTES:
INVOICES:
Kati Murphy invoice #39 - $138.75
MOTION to pay the invoice was made by Charles Steinhart V, second by Jon Bosma.
All if favor, motion passed
Silver Petrucelli invoice #15-336 $8306.99
MOTION to pay the invoice was made by Charles Steinhart V, second by Joe Cassata
All in favor, motion passed
CORRESPONDENCE:
*First Selectman’s February 25 2015 letter authorizing Silver Petrucelli to move forward with Construction Documents (Bullet points addressed under Old Business)
*Executed agreement between Town and Stadia Engineering for Clerk of the Works (NTE $25,840.)
*Paul Kowack’s February 19 project cost analysis.
Bob Shabunia indicated that these 3 correspondence had not been distributed
to the Committee and he would like them to be scanned and sent electronically
Mark Perkins stated that he would have Kati Murphy scan and email any correspondence
that the Committee had not received.
*Copy of Suchocki & Son second Payment Requisition in the amount of $47,177.60. This request includes the rock not included in the first request. Payment will be approved this coming Thursday, (March 5, 2015) at the next meeting with USDA.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
None
OLD BUSINESS:
First Selectman Mullane’s February 25 letter to Silver Petrucelli asked if energy efficient design had been incorporated into the project. Mark stated that it was considered but not affordable. The letter went on to ask if the Committee had been cost realistic in their requirements. Mark’s comment to this was that the Committee has shaved off as much square footage as possible to remain as cost efficient as they can be. First Selectman’s letter also asked, if the project had to be re-bid how would Silver Petrucelli handle the pricing and would they provide a cost estimate.
Bob Shabunia wanted to know how payment for re-design would work. Dean Petrucelli stated that once scope was defined it would a fixed fee.
David Stein went on to say that SP&A does not know the dollar value by which they’re being asked to redesign. In response to Mr. Mullane’s letter Silver Petrucelli will put together a few examples of areas where a re-design could be cost effective. It makes more sense to begin planning these now, rather than after the bids are opened.
Mark Perkins went on to discuss the Committee’s estimate of $6.8m, which had been sent to Silver Petrucelli. Silver Petrucelli said that they felt that number was in the ball park. Silver Petrucelli’s figure was $5.6m, but did not include any soft costs, which the Committee had included. Silver Petrucelli also stated that Gene Rinaldi’s January 20 estimate is in the ball park for the building itself, but the numbers for completing site work are still an unknown.
Mark wanted to be sure that Silver Petrucelli had included the $132k for the exhaust system in their numbers, which they had.
Dean Petrucelli wanted to go on record as saying the numbers are tight and the site number, at $740k in the Rinaldi estimate, does not appear to include any rock and he felt that portion of the estimate was substantially low. Silver Petrucelli is still showing $1.7m for site work. Silver Petrucelli’s number includes both Phase I and Phase II excavation.
Mark Perkins went on to say that there is potential to go over budget. What had been previously discussed in a meeting with himself, First Selectman Mullane, Peter Springsteel and Silver Petrucelli was to look at a 3 option approach by using add or deduct alternates. Examples of which were:
- Bid as is, with everything included
- Sized as needed but without any upgrades or architectural detail
- With architectural details, but eliminate 5th bay
These options can be designed now and bids can go out with the options.
Jon Bosma and Charlie Steinhart questioned what the cost savings of eliminating the bay would be. Savings would be about $300k. Charlie didn’t thing the Town’s people would be very receptive to cutting a bay and saving such a small amount.
Peter Springsteel indicated that by having this information and alternates available before hand, will be beneficial if bids come in high and Committee has to go back to the Town for additional funds. Mark Perkins went on to say that he wants to be able to present the options now so that the Town knows what they are, and maybe they will be willing to go with option A. Mark further went on to say that the First Selectman wants the building to look nice but he didn’t feel that the Committee was willing to sacrifice the building’s operational functionality for appearance. By having different options available to the Town he felt that all bases were being covered.
Charlie Steinhart stated that the Town’s people are getting tired of cutting a bay, adding a bay, and things keep changing and we’re not keeping the public informed as to these changes. The building now being proposed is not what the Town’s people thought it was originally going to be. Committee needs to make it very clear what the changes are and why we are making them.
Mark responded that going back to the Town with the 3 options gives the Town’s people an opportunity to say they either will or won’t support, and what we end up with will be what they Town chooses. Mark would rather have bid options out now, so that the project only needs to be bid one time.
Charlie and Bob Shabunia both commented that the project will be going to the lowest bidder.
Peter stated that the options will only come into play if the bids come in over budget.
David Stein stated that based on the Town’s bonding the job should go out to bid by July 1. Build these options into the bid now, so that you will not have to re-design after the fact. Re-design after the bids come back in will significantly impact the schedule. If the schedule is delayed any savings by redesigning can potentially be eaten up by escalation costs – you won’t be saving anything in the long run because you’ll be fighting the escalation costs.
Dean Petrucelli stated that as much as he dislikes alternates, he dislikes re-design even more, everyone loses. Committee’s best bet is to build safety values into the current plans now, rather than having to re-bid or re-design after the fact. It’s better to have deduct alternates included now. Deliver a bid that comes in under budget. If the 4 bay option comes in under budget, then go and fight for the 5th. But if you bid the 5th bay and it comes in over budget you’ve lost another year.
Charlie stated that if we eliminate the 5th bay we can no longer say it is a 30 year building. We’re already planning on an expansion walking in. Mark stated that when the options are presented at Town Meeting, if the 4 bay option wins, as a Committee we can say that we are no longer comfortable that it’s a 30 year building. We have the opportunity to present and explain to the Town what the options are and if they choose the 4 bay option, we need to ask them if they are willing to save $250k now, and spend $1m in ten years to add the 5th bay.
Dean stated that there will be a base bid plus the alternates. The challenge will be for the Committee to determine what they are willing to sacrifice to keep the project moving.
David stated that the design submitted to Planning and Zoning had no enhancements. P&Z had asked SP&A to go back to them if any enhancements were added. So he feels they were anticipating some changes would be made.
Mark stated that by bid opening we’ll know what Phase I final costs are. We’ll have a number to be able to take to the Boards of Selectmen and Finance. At that time we can go to Boards of Selectmen and Finance and ask them to let the Town’s people make the decision on whether or not to support additional funds.
Bob pointed out that little time has been spend discussing reduction of square footage on the operation/administrative side of the building.
David stein indicated that they (Silver Petrucelli) now needs to review all of the comments they’ve received to date, and respond to those He will reassemble his team and come back to the Committee with a revised schedule for delivery of the 90% Construction Design documents. USDA review and comment time will be factored in and USDA will need to approve the schedule.
Mark asked what more Silver Petrucelli needed from Committee. The response was that the Committee will need to decide 5 big ticket items where square footage can be reduced and consider them as as options for the deduct alternates.
Once suggestion was to just rough in the commercial kitchen and outfitting it as future funding allowed. However, Dean pointed out that by code, that as soon as you start feeding the public, then the full kitchen will be required. Anyone who is not a member and is fed in the building is considered the public.
Bob asked when committee could anticipate seeing the updates to the current floor plans that reflect the changes that have been provide to them thus far. David indicated that floor plans could be provided. Bob also wanted to know if a revised PDF of the spec book could be made available and
Remove any of the detail that does not pertain specifically to the building Dean indicated that they could to that
Mark asked how long before Silver Petrucelli would be able to update the plans with the changes the Committee had given them. David and Dean estimated 2-3 weeks.
Mark then suggested that the committee hold a working session in about 2 weeks to review updates based on the list of changes peter had forwarded to Silber Petrucelli on December 15, 2014. Kati Murphy will redistribute the list to Committee members.
Silver Petrucelli stated that over the next few weeks the Committee needs to solidify their list of deduct alternates. Silver Petrucelli can make suggestions, but these will be painful options and really need to come from Committee. The dollar value of the combined alternates should be in the $500k range. Dean pointed out that about a 20% reduction in square footage should be considered – if needs to hurt, if it doesn’t then it’s not worth doing. Silver Petrucelli needs to hear from the Committee what they
Some of the options mentioned were:
Eliminating covered entrances
Combining the day and multipurpose rooms. Dean pointed out that this would be a complicated change resulting in 2 entirely different sets of plans
There was also discussion regarding eliminating some space in the living quarters. There are two large meeting rooms where space could be reduced. The Committee needs to look seriously and decide where reductions can be made. Mark asked if taking space from the operational side would be instead of eliminating the 5th bay and David said no, it would be in addition to.
Mark felt that 4 bays would still provide for a 20 year building. Charlie disagreed and asked if Mark was planning on using storage sheds, because without the 5th bay they would be needing them. There will be no cellar in the new building and he had concerns that there will be adequate storage space.
Charlie did understand the need for reducing space. Decisions need to be made and everyone isn’t going to be happy with some of them. Charlie is willing to go along with the option of eliminating the 5th bay, but felt strongly that Committee should try very hard to keep it.
Charlie also asked Silver Petrucelli if there may be a less costly exhaust system. David stated that a central smoke evacuation system could be a less expensive option. Charlie would be willing to consider that as an option as long as it’s compliant.
Mark said that he would still be selling a 20,500 SF building, with the operational side complete. Charlie added that Committee still needs to provide alternates to Silver Petrucelli
Next meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2015. Committee will work with the current plans and determine 5 or 6 areas were space can be reduced. The information will be conveyed to Silver Petrucelli.
Peter mentioned that the gable end is block up to the roof and wondered if that was necessary. Silver Petrucelli will look into that and get back to Peter.
ADJOURN:
MOTION to adjourn made by Joe Cassata, second by Jon Bosma
Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM
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