High School Building Committee (HSBC) Meeting #58 Minutes

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wayland High School

Commons Conference Room

Attendees

HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Josh Bekenstein, Dianne Bladon, Steve Breit, Jim Howard, David Lash, Mary Lentz, Joe Lewin, Eric Sheffels, Jennifer Steel

Absent: Brian Chase, Fred Knight, Cindy Lombardo, Karen Talentino

HMFH Team: Frank Locker, George Metzger

Ex Officio members: Gary Burton, Allyson Mizoguchi, Scott Parseghian, Pat Tutwiler

Call to order – HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson, called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

MSBA Update – Lea reported on the following OPM related progress:

• The GCA (General Contractors Assoc.) facilitated a meeting with 8 OPMs (Owners Project Managers) to discuss the MSBA contract issues.
• 4 OPMs met with Katherine Craven and Mary Pichetti on Nov. 14^th on OPM contract issues. Participants reported that it was very encouraging that the MSBA acknowledged something needs to be done about the OPM contract.
• Doug Karam (KVA) and Tim Bonfatti (RF Walsh) will lead a task force to coordinate OPM input on the MSBA contract.
• Lea has requested that Wayland be put on the agenda for the December 8^th OPM Review Committee meeting at MSBA.

Wayland’s OPM Search – Lea reported that Wayland’s first choice for OPM, Turner Construction Co., has withdrawn from the Wayland and Belmont projects. Joy Buhler spoke with the Inspector General’s office and the Attorney General’s office and was advised that Wayland should move “down the list” of the remaining three firms (KV Associates, Daedalus, and RF Walsh) prioritized by Wayland’s selection committee, as required by the designer selection laws.

Eric, Joe and Lea are “doing diligence” on KVA by checking references, meeting with KVA on Dec. 1 and coordinating with MSBA. KVA is now willing to sign the Feasibility phase contract and is working with MSBA to improve the construction phase contract. Joe reminded the group that Wayland has moved off its original plan to hire an OPM only if they were willing to sign the second part of the contract. Eric said that OPMs are justified in their reticence to sign the construction phase contract. We can make progress with the Feasibility phase while issues relating to designer/OPM responsibilities are resolved. While Turner is willing to sign the Feasibility contract, they have issues with insurance that smaller firms do not have.

Designer Selection – George Metzger reported that a task force is working on the MSBA designer contract, a draft of which was released four weeks ago, and that the Boston Society of Architect’s review group is meeting with MSBA on Nov. 25. He thinks that resolution is a month or more away. Wayland has not received word from MSBA on their request to continue working with HMFH. George presented the HMFH team and reviewed the Wayland High School Preliminary Design project to MSBA on Sept. 9.

Planning for Educational Programming - George Metzger introduced Frank Locker, Educational Planner, to present his proposed planning process for Wayland High School. Frank worked with Wayland during the 2002 High School Feasibility Study (Dore and Whittier).

Frank advised the HSBC to allow the educational program to drive the discussion with MSBA. He worked with the Hanover High School Building Committee recently. Hanover has been successful negotiating with MSBA on enrollment and school design.

Frank said we do planning “because school building design should anticipate educational change.” He considers these the most important educational planning issues:

• Research-informed best practices in school structure and educational programs
• Effective educational delivery
• Planning for changed educational practices in the long term future
• Flexible facilities to anticipate changing educational needs
• Facilities impact on learning
• Building stronger relationships through school structure
• Impact of technology on educational practices
• Positioning schools in the community to improve learning

The planning process begins with forming the following teams:

• A “futures team” of 25 to 50 people representing teachers, administrators, students, parents, community businesses and social institutions, and the architect. The group participates in two full day workshops, breaks for several weeks, and then meets for another 1 or 2 days.
• Teacher/staff meetings take place after school or in-service days for 2-3 afternoons.
• An “educational specifications team” of 25+ people that include some of the “futures team”, teachers, staff, students, parents, business/social leaders, other teachers/staff to represent all program areas, and the architect. This group meets for 2 full day workshops.

Frank said that the process takes 4 to 5 weeks.

HSBC members discussed the following:

• Who brings cutting edge technologies to this group? Ans. Frank
• What are examples of novel ideas? Ans. Project based learning, integrated curriculum, technology as component of science dept.; school of connections, not school of departments
• How much does HSBC get involved in educational decisions? Ans. Administration, professional staff, and School Committee take lead
• HSBC should make a recommendation to the School Committee to approve this planning
• Many businesses do this kind of planning. What we learn will drive cost decisions, value engineering, community support, etc. We’ll be glad we did it.

Motion – A motion was made by Eric Sheffels and seconded by Mary Lentz to recommend to the Wayland School Committee that an educational planning process be undertaken by HMFH consultant, Frank Locker, under the auspices of the WSC and Administration who will assign members to the teams, with no fewer than 2 members of the HSBC assigned to the teams.

Vote – The motion was approved unanimously – 10 in favor, 0 opposed.

Action items –

• The HSBC asked George Metzger for two proposals through Ed Specs, one with Frank Locker’s help and one without.
• Lea will talk to Joy about using the HMFH contract used in the 2004 study until the MSBA contract is finalized.
• Lea will write a letter to the WSC requesting consideration of the educational planning process.

Motion – A motion was made by Mary Lentz and seconded by Joe Lewin to approve the minutes of the HSBC meeting #57 on October 30, 2008.

Vote – The motion was approved unanimously – 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.

Adjournment – The HSBC adjourned at 10:07 p.m.

Observers: Barb Fletcher, Douglas Goddard, Lisa Valone