High School Building Committee (HSBC) Meeting #42 Minutes - Draft

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Wayland Town Building

School Committee Conference Room

Attendees

HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Josh Bekenstein, Brian Chase, Jim Howard, Fred Knight, David Lash, Mary Lentz, Joe Lewin, Cindy Lombardo, Eric Sheffels, Jennifer Steel, Karen Talentino

Absent: Dianne Bladon, Steve Breit, Steve Tise

Ex Officio members: Gary Burton

HMFH team: George Metzger, Doug Sacra

Call to order Ò HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

George Metzger and Doug Sacra reviewed the Preliminary Design Report of 2004 relative to the three design approaches, the selected option, benchmarking, and the stop gap study.

Review of 3 Design Options - George Metzger discussed the three design options Ò one with mostly renovation and some new construction, the second with about equal parts renovation and new construction and the third with all new construction and a renovated field house. The group had expected that the option with the most renovation and least new construction (option 1) would be the least expensive. That was not the case. All three came in within $2M (3.5%) of each other. Option 1 had the most money allocated to temporary conditions and longer construction and the least money in place in the school building at the end of the project.

The charge to the HSBC was to satisfy the educational program, which meant enlarging classrooms in existing buildings to meet state regulations at the time. Members of the HSBC pointed out that a couple of things have changed - the new MSBA regulations give some latitude to communities regarding classroom size in renovation projects and the supplemental charge to the HSBC requires looking at different price points.

Doug Sacra presented the three approaches in some detail.

Option 1 called for renovating all of the existing buildings and building a new math/science building while adding on an auditorium to the arts building and a gym and locker rooms to the field house.

Option 2 replaced the four lift slab buildings with fewer, more compact buildings - a new science/English/social studies academic building and a new common building with auditorium and gym.

Option 3 called for building a new school on the football field and renovating the field house.

Comments from HSBC members were:

- Maintenance, energy, and contingency costs are much higher in option1.

- Neighbors requested that the football field not be moved closer to their homes.

- The HSBC will look again at assumptions about classroom space given the new MSBA regulations.

Review of Selected Option Ò Doug presented the selected option. He said that the overriding goals were design efficiency while meeting the educational program and providing a campus feel, and phasing with the least possible disruption to the education of students during construction. He described two buildings, academic and common. The academic building was located on the property behind the current facility, instead of on the football field. The common building comprised music classrooms, auditorium, gym, cafeteria, and administration.

Discussion followed:

- Neighborhood concern about location of football field was only part of the problem. The building inspector had raised concern about building too close to wetlands.

- We planned to widen roadways on site to make traffic flow smoother.

- Were we planning too many architectural details, too many angles; was the design ÏopulentÓ?

- It is easy to add significant dollars with finishes, for example. You donÌt save a lot of money by building a big box compared to the selected option. Scope reductions save significant dollars.

- The selected option was right down the middle in price and scope compared with other schools being built.

- Selected option optimized cost over the life of the building.

- Is the selected option appropriate for the current climate?

- MSBA will determine the ÏappropriateÓ budget.

- Benchmarking is very important. We should look at state funding percent because it might have an influence on the magnitude of the projects.

- Wayland received around 60% for the Middle School project. It is not overdone in any way. It is an example of a well-managed project.

Benchmarking Ò Doug reviewed the benchmarking data relative to new high schools and renovated/expanded high schools in the area. He explained that the analysis was completed for school size and cost as well as building size and functionality for performing arts and athletics. He explained that the program varies in different schools; for example Groton Dunstable has no orchestra, so there is no orchestra room. Doug pointed out that the WHS selected option was in the middle of the pack relative to other school projects.

Comments were:

- We did not communicate the benchmark information so that the public understood it.

- We should update benchmark information and present it in a simple way.

- Benchmarks will not be as important because MSBA will give us a dollar amount based on their formula of enrollment x square foot per student x cost per square foot.

- Last time around the stateÌs cost per square foot for a reimbursable project was $225 vs. our $245.

- The field house skews the square footage.

- The new regulations allow 185,000 square feet for a 1000 student high school. When we add the field house (around 40,000 sq. ft.) to this we are very close to the selected option square footage.

- There is an apparent redundancy in the athletics square footage that must be better explained.

- MSBA will fund athletics to fulfill the educational program, not the after-school program.

Stop Gap Study - Doug reviewed the Stop Gap Study which attempted to answer the question: What is the least that we can do to allow the facility to continue on, largely in its current form, for the next 10 years? Stop Gap added a 28,000 square foot new science lab/classroom building, renovated the existing science building for general purpose classrooms, renovated existing buildings with new roofs, electrical service, added a waste water treatment plant, fire protection, technology/communications system, met ADA, Title 9, addressed storm water management, replaced doors and carpeting, did minor renovations on HVAC and plumbing. The estimated cost 2 years ago was $37M ($34M will state aid).

Comments were:

- We donÌt know what the reimbursement will be for this type of project under the new MSBA regulations.

- The low end of the range of possible projects will probably be the stop gap with several years of added inflation.

- Presenting the low-end project first next time might be beneficial. Then look at value added for added cost.

- The stop gap would be a poor way to spend money.

Warrant Article Ò The group discussed a possible warrant article to be considered at the April 2007 Annual Town Meeting. The WSC at its meeting this week requested input from the HSBC on requesting funds to develop an application for state funding for the WHS project. Specifically the HSBC was asked to determine an amount to request, whether to make the expenditure contingent on an Ïinvitation to applyÓ from MSBA, and whether there is some smaller amount that should not be contingent on an invitation to apply, but allows the HSBC to do the pre-study work described in the regulations. Lea reported that Turner and HMFH had been asked last spring for an estimate to proceed through the MSBA application process and the supplemental charge to the HSBC. The estimate was about $300k. The HSBC agreed that $75k of the $300k should be requested to do the work necessary in the pre-study phase and therefore without condition. The remaining $225k is conditional on the MSBA inviting Wayland to continue the application process into the study phase.

Comments were:

- We donÌt know how much of the work already done will be allowed.

- If the templates and forms are easy to fill out, less money will be spent.

- It is important to have money to pay our consultants, especially considering the amount of work they did above and beyond the $355k last time.

- It is wise to have conditions placed on spending the whole amount.

- We should be careful to use the language of the MSBA regs in defining what the expenditures will be for.

- Bob Gordon has offered to write the language of the article, which is due on Dec. 14.

- The language should not try to list deliverables, but Ïto do the work necessary to applyÓ.

Next Steps Ò At its next meeting, the HSBC will review the communications plan from 2004 and the town-wide survey that was conducted in 2005. The committee will also begin discussion on a communications strategy for the next year. The committee was asked to reserve Jan. 4 and Jan. 18 for meeting dates.

Action items for the next meeting on Dec. 14

- HSBC will read the survey report.

- Dr. Burton will send the Craven letter to Fred for posting.

Motion Ò A motion was made by Mary Lentz and seconded by Joe Lewin to approve the minutes of HSBC meeting #41 held on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006.

Vote Ò The motion was approved unanimously - 12 in favor, 0 opposed.

Motion Ò A motion was made by Fred Knight and seconded by Cindy Lombardo to pay HMFH and Turner on a hourly basis for work requested by the committee.

Vote Ò The motion was approved unanimously Ò 12 in favor, 0 opposed.

Comments and questions from observers: Lisa Valone informed the group that Annual Town Meeting will begin on Sunday afternoon, April 29, 2007.

Adjournment Ò The HSBC adjourned at 9:55 p.m.

Observers: Pat Abramson, Janet Correia, Molly Upton, Lisa Valone