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Salem Sate College Advisory Board Minutes 6/27/2011
Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee
June 27, 2011 – Minutes
Attendees:      Beth Bower, Maureen Fry, Joseph O’Keefe, Jason Silva, and Andrew Soll

Absent: Jason Doviak, Jack Hoar, Marcia Lambert, Robert McCarthy, John Ronan, James Rose, and John Walsh

Guests: Joe Berry (Lee Kennedy Co., Inc.); Leif Lamoray (Leftfield Inc.);

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
  • Library and Learning Commons
  • Construction hours are Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Demolition of Existing Building
  • The demolition of the existing library building continues on the west side of the building.
  • Construction of New Facility
  • Excavation for the new building is set to begin in July. The excavation will start at the northwest portion of the site.
  • Questions/Comments
  • Will the footings for the library cause vibration?
  • There will be a mat slab for the foundation of the new building but no footings or piles that must be driven into the ground. There will be excavation and compaction.
  • Vibration monitors have been set up at various locations around the site and will stay in place for the duration of the project. The only vibration that triggered an alarm, thus far, occurred when a monitor in a local residence was bumped over a weekend period. There was no construction activity taking place at that time.
  • Pre-construction surveys were completed prior to the start of construction to assist with potential damage claims.
  • What is the timeline for the vibration monitor results to reach the construction team? There is a concern about damage taking place if there is a delay from when the alarm goes off to when it is reported to the contractor and the work causing the vibration stops.
  • The threshold where the alarm goes off is at a non-damage, early warning level. If the alarm goes off, the system connects with monitors that alert the consultant. Monitoring is continuous with alarm notifications being called into the contractor.
  • The university will request a more detailed explanation of the monitoring process from the consultant responsible for the monitoring and will report back to the committee.

  • What will be done for dust control?
  • Water spray by person or truck will be used as a dust control measure. This has been done during demolition and  will be in place by the start of excavation work.
  • Pamela Knight expressed dissatisfaction with a claim she filed with regard to the installation of the scaffolding in front of the existing library building back in 2007.
  • The university reported that this claim lies with the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) and that DCAM has been in contact with Ms. Knight. The university will continue to assist Ms. Knight as best it can in this process.
  • The university will request that DCAM give an updated presentation on the library/learning commons project at the July 18 meeting.
  • Summer Work
  • Sullivan Building – Renovations in the basement to provide improved classroom and laboratory space for the theater program as well as restrooms for the Callan Theatre have begun. All work will be inside the building.
  • O’Keefe Center – The construction for a new athletic training laboratory is underway and scheduled to be complete by the opening of the academic year. All work will be inside the building.
  • Former Weir Property
  • Data Center
  • The majority of the servers from the data center were successfully moved the weekend of June 18. There is more work to be done before the former data center is officially shut down in the classroom building on Central Campus. There are servers that support major administrative functions that remain there that will be switched to new servers over the summer. Two of the DX cooling units have been shut down. Facilities will be moving portable coolers into the old center at Central Campus so that the remaining units can be shut down.
  • Neighborhood Email Process
  • Jason Silva asked if important notices are still shared with the external community via email. Salem State responded that neighborhood messages are sent to those who signed up for notifications when there is updated information on items of interest and projects that impact the neighborhood. These messages are also posted on the university’s website under “Community Connections.” Any messages related specifically to construction can be found at www.salemstate.edu/construction.
ISSUES IN PROGRESS
  • Marsh Hall Rooftop Equipment
  • The contractor has spent the past six weeks in the control room working on numerous glitches in the temperature control system. The noise from the units improves when the external temperature is under 60 degrees, but is louder as the temperature increases. The contractor is trying to remedy two sounds within the cooling unit. A fan is out of balance, and will be addressed. They will also look for surging within the equipment.
  • HVAC System at Central Campus Classroom Building Update
  • The Eugenios reported that noise from the Central Campus classroom building cooling system began at 4 a.m. Monday morning. They had agreed to a 6 a.m. start. Andrew Soll reported that facilities was asked to start the cooling system earlier on Mondays without his knowledge. A solution will be put in place so that this will not occur the following weekend.
  • Loring Avenue Parking
  • Jason Silva reported that the city’s parking committee and police are on notice to monitor this area.
  • Beth Bower stated that she met with Executive Vice President Stan Cahill about educating students during the orientation process. The Salem State Chief of Police has broadened his orientation presentation to students to include parking and being a good neighbor. The education process will continue throughout the summer orientation and will start again in the fall. There is a new director of residence life starting at the university in July. He will be briefed on the situation and included in the plans for continued education.
SALEM STATE COMMUNITY DAY
  • The university is interested in hosting a day for the Salem community to visit campus and experience what’s happening at Salem State. Through the committee, the university is soliciting ideas of what activities would be of interest to the community.
  • The university looks to the committee for advice on soliciting neighborhood input. The university has developed a brief questionnaire for neighbors that will be sent out through the neighborhood email blast.
NEW BUSINESS
  • Fourth of July Block Party in the Pickman Park Neighborhood – Councillor O’Keefe informed the university that the streets in the Pickman Park neighborhood will be closed to traffic during the July 4 weekend for a block party. Tim Shea, director of Athletics, is aware and will further encourage baseball field attendees to park on campus.
MEETING SCHEDULE
  • The next meeting will be on Monday, July 18, at 6:00 p.m. in the Enterprise Center Training Room B located on Central Campus at 121 Loring Avenue.