High School Building Committee (HSBC) Meeting #69 Minutes

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Wayland High School

Commons Conference Room

Attendees

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

Absent: Brian Chase

HMFH Team: Frank Locker, George Metzger, Steve Millington

KVA Team: David Saindon

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

Call to order – HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson, called the HSBC meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.

Update on Town Election and Town Meeting – Chairman Lea Anderson reported that the debt exclusion for Feasibility Study/Schematic Design funds for Wayland High School was approved by 73% of the voters at the April 7^th Town Election. Town Meeting Article 7 for $726,000 funding for the Feasibility/Schematic was approved unanimously on April 13th. Special Town Meeting Article 5 to authorize the town to indemnify the MSBA and allow the School Committee to enter into an agreement with the MSBA for the Feasibility Study/Schematic Design was approved on April 15^th.

Update on MSBA Meeting 4/13 - David Saindon met with John Jumpe on Monday. David reviewed several items:

• Wayland is advised that the Budget Statement for Educational Objectives revision by MSBA will take more time. Wayland is advised to hold off for now. (Brad Crozier is working on a draft version.)
• Ed Spec format must be exactly like the MSBA template – no rearranging of items.
• David recommends a simple summary of program over/under back-up for the ed spec.
• MSBA has reviewed the 2004 study and will reimburse $18,000 on the existing conditions report. They declined to reimburse on any of the Turner work.
• MSBA requires vote language for three appropriations: April 2009 ($726,000); April 2007 ($300,000); and November 2003 ($355,000).
• MSBA will issue a letter outlining deliverables due by May 1

The HSBC discussed the Feasibility/Schematic budget:

• Eric, Joe and Lea will work with David on the details of the budget page (Exhibit A) regarding $18,000 reimbursement from 2004 study, spending authority, contingencies, etc.
• Joe, Eric, or Lea should participate in any negotiation with MSBA on budget.
• KVA and HMFH have worked very hard to stay within budget. HMFH has been especially patient over the last five years.
• MSBA is our funding partner, but it is Wayland’s responsibility to deliver the program.
• Should we write down chronology of discussion?
• Let’s continue with process. David will maintain information on meetings as he has been doing.

David reported that he is developing a matrix for evaluating options. The committee asked to be part of determining the criteria.

Action: David will send Lea the criteria matrix for the HSBC to consider before next week’s HSBC meeting.

Ed Spec Update – David sent the draft ed spec to John Jumpe for the 4/13 meeting. The HSBC has not seen any of the ed spec back-up. Pat and Allyson are working with HMFH to finish this up. Dr. Burton reported that the spec is close to the regulations except for athletic square footage. The HSBC had a lengthy discussion on what to present to the MSBA on Thursday when Gary, Lea, Steve, and David will meet with John Jumpe to discuss the ed program.

• We have two weeks to get this done. The sense of our committee is that the core curriculum is right on, except for science which requires extra classrooms due to participation rates. The very high utilization in fine arts explains the overage. Athletics is complicated by the existing space (40,000 s.f. of field house) which we would like to renovate and the programmatic defense of a third basketball court.
• Anything that we and the MSBA do not support would have to be funded 100% locally.

Lea asked for the sense of the meeting on taking out the third basketball court before going to the MSBA. Three HSBC members preferred taking it out now. Eight preferred deferring to after Thursday’s meeting. Discussion ensued:

• We should follow the process as defined and present the ed program for a formal reaction from the state.
• Will people say we are looking for an excessive program?
• The day program will not justify the extra gym. It is the after-school team practices that are the driver. 70% of WHS students participate in athletics.
• Gary reminded the group that a decision on WayCam also needs to be made. Should the studio space be outside the project and presented to the town separately?

Action: Frank will send Lea an updated version of the ed spec for distribution to the HSBC.

Steve will continue to develop a plan that incorporates as much of the athletic program in the field house as possible, with the remaining pieces immediately adjacent to the field house. Thought should be given to carving out a location for future building of a third basketball court.

Review of options –

1. Steve Millington presented a further refinement of a single phase option built in the parking area. This iteration is a 2-story design with courtyards and with good day-lighting from the east. The administration building remains in use during construction. More detail on parking is included. Steve was asked to keep in mind future expansion for classrooms and athletics.
2. A second iteration with similar attributes that incorporates the administration/library building is being developed. This option precipitated a discussion on campus. The Futures Team identified flexibility and purposeful outdoor space as two high priorities. Frank noted that this discussion gives hope that the functional diagrams from the Futures work are holding up.
3. Steve presented a revised rehab scheme to see how the program fits into existing buildings. While everything fits, it is not in accordance with the recommendations of the Futures Team. It was pointed out that this could be a 4-year, multi-phase renovation with a “sea of trailers”. This must be analyzed in detail so that we understand again the cost and risk of a renovation strategy.

The HSBC discussed the need to look at reusing rooms. Comments were:

· We are dealing with 50 year old buildings. While foundations and steel represent 25% of the cost, the steel is not braced, the overhangs on the lift slabs are deteriorated and will likely have to be removed.

· We need to put pencil to paper on the cost of renovating the admin/library building.

George reminded the group that the shrinking square footage has allowed us to abandon the 2004 plan to build behind the current buildings. We can gain efficiencies through a single phase in the parking areas. A 2-building solution “out front” will be analyzed.

Next steps (items from KVA’s 2-week look ahead):

1-week April 23

· Meet with MSBA to present Ed Spec program back-up.

· Reevaluate 2004 option 2 (renovation and new construction). Update with 09 Ed Spec.

· Option 3a (2004 preferred option – double structure) estimate is updated. Update with 09 Ed Spec.

· Option 4 – Continue to analyze single structure per 09 Ed Spec.

· 2004 stop gap is updated

[Week of April 20^th – David to meet with various town departments]

2-week April 30

· Continued reevaluation and narrative supplements of 2004 option 2, 3a, and 4

· Strategize for organizing 2009 (supplement) Feasibility Study Preferred Alternative Report for the MSBA.

Schedule of meetings

April 23 – Meeting with MSBA on ed program (10 am)

HSBC meeting

April 27 – School Committee meeting – HSBC update

Lea and David will update the meeting schedule. David is working on how to get a high-quality option analysis done in time to meet the MSBA meeting schedule for moving to schematic design (May 27 or July 29) so that we can stay on target for a town vote in November.

It is likely that the public forum tentatively scheduled for April 29^th will be delayed until May.

Motion: A motion was made by Mary Lentz and seconded by David Lash to approve the amended minutes to HSBC meeting #68 held on April 9, 2009.

Vote: The motion was approved – 11 in favor, 0 opposed.

Adjournment – The HSBC adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

Next meeting – Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 pm in the School Committee conference room

Observers: Lori Frieling