TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK
Old Saybrook Police Services Facility Study/Building Committee
302 Main Street • Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-2384
Telephone (860) 395-3123 • FAX (860) 395-3125
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
Monday, August 22, 2011 5:30 P.M.
1. Call to order
Chairman Dan Moran called the special meeting of the Old Saybrook Police Building Committee to order at 5:40 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Dan Moran, Chairman
Ray Muratori
David Wight
Charles Robertson, Vice Chairman
Tom Zemienieski
Ray Giolitto, Architect
Michel Spera, Police Chief, Ex-Officio member
Christina Burnham, Esq., Ex-Officio member
Approximately 12 members of the public
3. Report by subcommittee re: selecting structural engineer for report on 225 Main Street building;
Dan Moran explained that the sub-committee interviewed The Lawrence Associates and
Morrissey Engineering. The sub-committee chose The Lawrence Associates based on the interviews.
Chief Spera reports that the account from which the present expenses have been taken (he believes) has a balance of $48615.97
Motion – Ray Muratori moved to accept the Lawrence Associates, David Wight seconded; Dan Moran read the proposal into the minutes
The Chairman will forward this decision to the First Selectman so they can execute the contract.
5-0-0 motion approved unanimously
4. Architect’s report
Ray Giolitto reviewed the Northeast Collaborative Architects report. (copy attached hereto).
He explained that there were three options developed and he reviewed the options and differences with the committee.
Option 1 - 33,782 s.f. $ 10,636,36 (includes soft costs)
Option 2 A - 18,120 s.f. plus 3,108 s.f. unfinished, no basement $ 8,384.84
Option 2 B - 18,120 s.f., no basement $ 7,811,41
Option 3 - 16,745 s.f., no basement $ 7,550,500
Chief Spera reviewed Option 3 and identified that there is no room for oxygen cascade, no room for bicycles, a training room that does not hold all sworn officers, some offices have been made smaller, there is no impound lot and no place for storage of extra tires.
His concern is with building to a budget rather than a need; he questions whether the tax payers would want a new building that does not meet the department’s needs.
Dan Moran reviewed the options. The third option was done by the architect in response to a request by the Selectman’s office to determine if a building could be built closer to the 5.5 million dollar estimate. Dan would like to get a consensus of what the committee members would support in their first report to the Selectmen’s office. Dan asks whether the committee wants to continue discussing the options.
Charles Robertson does not feel that a decision should be rushed because of an upcoming election, He believes no decision is better than a bad decision.
Dan Moran feels the committee needs to focus on an outline of what the process is going to be.
Tom Zemieneski asked if the committee is going to go out and visit other police stations as was previously discussed.
Charles Robertson felt there are good points on both sides of the discussion. He would like to hear what the structural engineer results are. He would like to visit other police stations. He would like to hear from the Chair of the Police Commission regarding the third option. He also believes that a decision may not happen before the next election and that a decision should not be rushed because of the upcoming election.
Ray Muratori stated that he believes that the charge for the committee is to build a building for $ 5,500,000.
Dan Moran asked again what direction the committee wants to head with respect to the charge. Dan wanted to know if the committee can agree on a process and agree on a report.
Charles Robertson said report should include the facts: the committee met x times, hired structural engineer, set up a schedule to visit other police stations, reviewed three proposals with the architect and report on proposed progress.
David Wight stated that Option 3 meets the charge. He thinks the committee should ask the police department to review option 3 and come back and discuss how it does not meet the department’s needs.
Charles Robertson thinks the committee should still work within the charge.
Ray Giolitto said there is a possibility the committee may meet the charge based on the structural report and still be able to build a larger building.
Dan Moran asked the members of the committee whether they are willing to make the time commitments necessary to continue to meet more frequently, perhaps through the end of the calendar year.
Charles Robertson proposed the committee continue the work, continue to prepare a plan and continue to work toward the charge.
Ray Giolitto is expecting to hear back from the committee with respect to purchasing more of his time
Christina Burnham, Chairman of the Police Commission, feels the committee does not have enough information to make a decision with respect to price and square footage. She thinks it appropriate for committee members to see other police stations. She believes a progress report is important.
Dan Moran asked Charles Robertson to draft a report.
Dan Moran in response to Mr. Robertson and Mr. Zemienieski, thinks the committee needs to decide how many other police stations to visit and then someone should schedule it. Charles Robertson would like to do Madison and Clinton.
The Chief will try and schedule a visit to each after Labor Day. It was recommended to schedule one for an evening and one for a weekend day.
Dan Moran will ask the selectman’s office for an extension for the report so that the structural engineer report can be included.
Next scheduled meeting will be September 12th at 5:30
Add to agenda developing additional meeting dates
5. Discussion of police program necessities; square footage and budgetary charges
6. Public comment
Question from the public - Does the demolition cost include abatement? No
Dan Moran stated that Larry Bonan has gotten two abatement estimates; Dan will provide them at the next meeting.
7. Adjournment
Motion – Charles Robertson moved to adjourn 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Hockert, Clerk
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