Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wayland Town Building
School Committee Conference Room
Attendees
HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Dianne Bladon,
Brian Chase, Jim Howard, David Lash, Mary Lentz, Cindy Lombardo
Absent: Josh Bekenstein,
Steve Breit, Fred Knight, Joe Lewin,
Eric Sheffels, Jennifer Steel
HMFH Team: Frank Locker, Steve Millington
KVA Team: Frank Vanzler, David Saindon
Ex Officio members: Gary Burton, Pat Tutwiler
Call to order Ð HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson,
called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
Futures Team Update - Frank Locker reviewed the educational
planning work of the past two months.
The Futures Team has just completed Day 5 and will wrap up one more day
on Friday, March 6th.
2.3 faculty
workshops, a community forum and a 2-hour meeting with students have taken
place. A questionnaire has been
sent to students.
The
deliverables at the end of the day tomorrow (3/6) will be:
Frank
Locker said that the rearrangement of the schedule due to snow days has
resulted in a reordered process that has left some faculty feeling that
decisions have been made without their input. This is the beginning of the educational
programming, not the end. The
schedule calls for the educational specification to be completed by the end of
March so that the designers can begin working on the Feasibility Study. Frank will meet with the staff again
next week. Pat Tutwiler will have
the challenging task of working through the educational programming needs and
helping to finalize the ed
spec with the staff.
David Saindon requested that the ed spec be completed a week before the April 3rd
HSBC meeting or March 26th so that the HSBC can keep to its very
tight schedule.
Frank
then showed the group a conceptual ÒbubbleÓ diagram with the media center at
the hub of the academic space, four small learning centers that could be
organized by grade level or department or something else in the future,
administration closer to the students, technology learning spaces, science
space more integrated, etc. The
goal is to have flexible space so that changes in teaching and learning over
the next several decades can be accommodated in the facility.
Ballot Question and Warrant
Article Update Ð Lea
informed the group that the MSBA requires a separate ballot question for any
school funding project including Feasibility Study/Schematic Design. She thanked Fred Turkington
and Mark Lanza for working with the MSBA over the
past week on revising the language for the ballot question and warrant article.
There
will now be two tax neutral debt exclusion ballot questions on April 7 at the
polls Ð one for the high school Feasibility Study/Schematic Design and another
for a combination of items (ambulance, Advance Life Support equipment, town
building repairs). Dollar amounts
are not included in the ballot questions, but the amount for the Feasibility is
$726,000 ($315,600 tax impact after taking into account previous allocation and
state reimbursement).
Mary
Lentz asked about changes to the warrant article language if amendments are
made at Town Meeting. The MSBA
language is required if we want reimbursement. This point will have to be made from the
floor of Town Meeting.
Feasibility Study/Schematic Design Ð David Saindon of KVAssociates
reported that he has sent MSBA project manager, John Jumpe, the following
documents:
1.
Preliminary
Design Report of 2004
2.
Draft
Feasibility/Schematic budget
3.
Draft Feasibility/Schematic
scope
4.
Draft
Feasibility/Schematic schedule
Feedback from John Jumpe was:
1.
Report was a
good start, not
a home run. More convincing
evidence and analysis to be performed on options 1 and 2. MSBA has suspicions when most expensive
option is chosen. Focus on revised
Ed Programming and Specification.
Let that guide the process.
Use the MSBA Ed Space Template.
2.
MSBA will
review and advise on reimbursement for previous study.
3.
MSBA will issue
a draft scope document very soon (March 9, 2009 target date).
4.
No comment on
schedule.
5.
The Òno-buildÓ
option is not required by MSBA because we have shown through the Statement of
Interest that it is not an option for Wayland.
Discussion followed:
Lea pointed out that the
cost estimates on the original three options were very close and that the most
expensive originally was the renovation option. Option 3 was revised so that
construction would not take place on the football field due to the neighborsÕ
concerns and also the building inspectorÕs concerns about wetlands. The final proposal was $57.3 million and
much less disruptive and risky to the educational program, schedule, and budget
as pointed out by George at the last meeting.
Other comments:
á
Dianne Bladon pointed out that, similar to last time, the Stop Gap
should be updated as part of our charge and to help Wayland voters understand
the cost of a minimal project.
á
Mary Lentz
reminded the group that the MSBA will be flexible in allowing renovation of
buildings that do not meet the standards this time. It was pointed out that this might be
applicable for the buildings with larger classrooms (Math/English) but not the
buildings with 500 square foot classrooms.
Summary of KVA visit to WHS Ð David Saindon met John Moynihan and Patrick
Morris at WHS on 2/27/09 to tour the facility. David related that his impressions of
the facility were in line with the numerous reports. He noted the complications of
phasing a project with the heating generated from the Arts building and the
maze of underground tunnels.
A discussion on
renovation ensued. Dr. Burton
reminded the group that the renovation in 1990 cost $6.2 million and included
new roofs, some new heating, minimal cosmetic improvements, new carpeting. It was pointed out that this time around
renovation that costs more than 25% of assessed value will trigger code
compliance for ADA and life safety features. Soft costs are very high in renovation.
Action items:
1.
Steve
Millington will send a full ÒExisting Conditions ReportÓ to David.
2.
Lea will send
the links to the NEASC Report, enrollment matrix, and Turner Report to David.
HMFHÕs List of Consultants Ð Steve Millington of HMFH presented a proposed list of consultants to
the HSBC. Specialty
consultants now flow through the architect in the new MSBA process. He said that HMFH has been wading
through new MSBA documents that are both thorough and onerous. He is working on developing a fee
proposal that has two parts: 1) a
redo of the feasibility study and 2) a design team through schematics and end of
construction to try to keep the fees down.
He thinks that 45% of the cost will be for consultants and 55% for
HMFH. The MSBA requires 4% women
owned businesses and 8% minority owned businesses. This has affected the proposed list of
consultants. There are firms that
he would be inclined to list, but he is unable to meet the MSBA requirements.
Specific questions were
asked about building envelope consultants, lighting, and a detailed land
survey.
Action items:
á
Gary Burton
will call the Town Surveyor to ask about previous surveying of the WHS
property.
á
Steve will
provide David with a list of principles and primary contacts for the firms
listed.
á
Steve will
review need for lighting and envelope consultants and advise.
Communications Plan for March Ð Dianne Bladon reminded the group of the
Public Campaign Finance regulations now that there is a ballot question
planned. HSBC members are not
prevented from advocating for the project.
We just canÕt spend public funds to communicate about the ballot question. We are allowed to use public funds
within a reasonable dollar limit to communicate information on the Warrant
Article for Town Meeting. A ballot
question committee is being formed by SOS.
Dianne then reviewed the
communications plan which includes short presentations to any group who asks
for one. So far, the PTOs and
pre-school groups are scheduled. We
are offering a candidateÕs briefing prior to the March 19th HSBC
meeting. There will be someone from
the HSBC at the warrant hearing on 3/9 and at the League of Women VoterÕs
Candidates Night on 3/25. There
will be a one page handout available at all of these events. Articles for PTO newsletters have been
approved by the Office for Public Campaign Finance and submitted. Lastly, the HSBC will write a column for
the March 19th Town Crier. Individual HSBC members are
welcome to write articles or letters.
So far Fred Knight and Eric Sheffels have
written.
Motion: A motion was made to authorize Lea and Dianne to
write an article for the March 16th Town Crier.
Vote: The motion was approved unanimously Ð 6 in favor, 0
opposed (Cindy had left.)
Next steps (items from
KVAÕs 2-week look ahead):
á
Receive scope
from MSBA. Review, discuss, accept
á
Finalize HMFH
team consultants
á
Review/verify
fee and scope with HMFH
á
Begin looking
at whether single structure will fit on WHS site
á
HMFH continues
Ed Program/Spec
á
Study
renovation options (2004 option 2)
á
Begin Phase 1
initial site investigation
á
Work with Town
on completing Town Feasibility Study Agreement tasks
Action items for HMFH
include:
á
Provide MSBA
with required documentation for designer selection approval.
Motion: A motion was made by Jim Howard
and seconded by Dianne Bladon to approve the minutes
to HSBC meeting #63 on February 19, 2009.
Vote: The motion was approved
unanimously Ð 6 in favor, 0 opposed.
Adjournment Ð The HSBC adjourned at 10:25 p.m.
Next meeting Ð Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 pm in
the School Committee conference room
Observers: Betsy Brigham, Sam DiSavino,
Lisa Valone