Town of Stoddard, NH

Building Committee Minutes

7:00 PM January 21, 2010

Stoddard Town Hall

Members present: Dick Briere, Lou GrandPré, Sandy Holland, P. J. Lamothe,

                                 Harry Power, Amy Rokoszak, Alan Rumrill, David Vaillancourt

Absent:                  Penny Betz,

Dick Briere called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

To refresh the Committee’s memory about the state and condition of the Gould House, we did a walk-through there, discussing potential work to be done.  Upon returning to the Town Hall, Amy Rokoszak inquired when we are going to see plans from Baybutt.  Dick responded that we would schedule that for January 27^th.  It is anticipated that only six of us will be able to attend that meeting; however, if held on the 28^th as originally scheduled, only five could be present.  Further, due to the School Budget Hearing scheduled for February 4^th, the Committee will meet on Wednesday, February 3^rd.

Dick noted that several additional attempts have been made to reach the electrical engineer that looked at the Town Hall and Gould House wiring, still without success.  He is going to turn that back over to Rod Parsons to pursue. 

Ability to fund the lead and asbestos testing was discussed and it was determined that we do have available funds.  Dick will approach the selectmen on Monday, January 25^th to discuss hiring Catamount Environmental to conduct the necessary  testing.

Harry Power stated that, forgetting the Gould House, he is not at all in favor of what Baybutt is proposing for Town Hall.  He feels we can manage the work ourselves by hiring private contractors to do the roof, siding, new boiler, etc. and that we can do it in stages.  Dick asked which of us is going to spend a large amount of time acting as “clerk of the works” to ensure the quality of work expected is provided.  Sandy Holland suggested that it would take an incredible amount of time to prepare bid specifications, money to put the various pieces out to bid, time to review bids, interview contractors, award the bids and that with each piece of this, we are leaving ourselves open to liability if we don’t get it exactly right.  We’ve already determined none of us is an expert in writing bid specs or documents. 

P.J. Lamothe stated that we had already decided in another meeting that we were not going to supervise, meet, interview, etc.  Lou GrandPré stated that we have to be real about this and let Baybutt do it for us.  Amy Rokoszak stated that Baybutt’s fees are out of line, that once we decide what we are going to do we should put it out to bid.  She further stated that Baybutt has no interest in renovation.  Lou noted that everything Baybutt has said has borne out exactly what Architect Richard Monahon gave us in a report, that it is exactly the same.  Dick said that the Town could incur quite a liability if we don’t have someone to oversee the work.  Lou agreed.  Dick noted that this Committee had difficulty writing warrant articles, how is it that we think we are going to be able to accomplish specifications, requests for proposals, and/or contracts for multiple scopes of work.  A quick poll of Committee members showed a majority wishing to stay with Baybutt.

Harry said that if we were going to continue with Baybutt, then we need to have a list of “dos” for them the 27^th.  Lou noted that Rod has said many times, “just tell me what you want.”  Dick will speak with Rod Parsons tomorrow.  Harry said we just need to pull it all together and take it to the people, let the people decide.

Dick asked P.J. to state the work the fire station needs and an estimate of costs.  P.J. said she was told by the selectmen that she had to take it to them.  Sandy Holland said that there was no problem taking it to the selectmen but it should be shared with the Building Committee too, as it is the Committee’s charge to see to the maintenance of all the town buildings.  Some of the items the fire station needs, however, such as a generator and alarms, are not the concern of the Building Committee.

Lou motioned to adjourn at 8:10 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________

Sandy Holland

Building Committee Minutes

7:00 PM January 14, 2010

Stoddard Town Hall

Members present: Dick Briere, Lou GrandPré, Sandy Holland,

                                 Harry Power, Amy Rokoszak, David Vaillancourt

Absent:                  Penny Betz, P. J. Lamothe, Alan Rumrill

Dick Briere called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

The meeting was turned over to Rod Parsons of Baybutt.  He had made contact with Catamount Environmental re asbestos and lead paint testing.  They would do both buildings for a Not to Exceed (NTE) cost of $2,500.  If the buildings test positive, professional abatement would be necessary.  The Building Committee does not have sufficient funds available to cover that cost.  Rod asked if the Selectmen could issue a Change Order/Extra Work Authorization to incorporate a NTE cost of $2,500 into the original Phase I work.  Results will take three to four weeks after testing.

Rod has put in three calls to the electrical engineer without success.  The engineer works in the same building as Sandy Holland and it was agreed that she and Dick Briere would attempt to meet briefly with him on January 15^th to determine if the existing electrical BX cable satisfies code.

Rod questioned whether the septic plan we have from Meridien, dated October 2008, is workable.  Amy Rokoszak asked why we are going into that now, and it was explained that there is no design filed with the DES and we have no DES approval for the system that is present.

Rod suggested we revisit the charge of work in Phase I which was to get to a number that Baybutt will stand by, worst case scenario, something to go to the voters with for design, good plans and specifications that will go out to bid.  Dick Briere offered that work in the Town Hall can be done in phases but the Gould House needs to be completed in one step.

Rod stated that he would focus on the Gould House and work on final pricing.  He asked if prices for one building will stand alone if only one is done, and the response was “yes”.  He stated that Mr. Monahon had put significantly more work in his plan than we had carried in the original Baybutt proposal, i.e. climate controlled basement, workshop etc.  The Baybutt proposal is more basic, just covering necessary structural repairs in the basement and moving the stairs.  Rod stated that Baybutt is taking a lot of their lead from the KSC plan, keeping existing windows where possible etc.  The goal is to make the office space efficient, comfortable and safe.  Some discussion followed regarding placement of egress for the safety of town employees in the event there was an irate/threatening customer.

On discussion of flooring, Rod suggested wide plank hardwood for the two front rooms, BCT in the more heavily trafficked areas.  The second floor will not be an office space but will be ripped out and rebuilt for stability and structural soundness and added insulation.  It may be possible to salvage the second floor flooring for reuse in first floor.  A question of whether to patch plaster or put in dry wall was answered with ‘whatever turns out to be the most economical’.  There was some discussion on placement of a coat/boot rack or closet, and a decision to utilize the budget for “Historic” in the meeting room.  Regarding potential cabinetry, it was stated that the Town Clerk had thought a workstation for two people would be best. 

As far as the exterior, clapboards will be replaced as necessary, and the whole building painted.  Members were charged to think about whether the exterior should match the Town Hall and Amy noted that shutters would need to be installed if so.  Rod will look at the condition of the existing baseboard heat to determine condition but it is known that the furnace has several more years of utility.  There will be one unisex ADA compliant bathroom with hot water, a water cooler or bubbler, no air conditioning.  Rod will look again at the condition of the chimney.  Lighting must address the emergency EXIT lights, as well as exterior lighting being sufficient for safety in all walk areas. 

Rod asked whether at some point we envision having one server for the Town of Stoddard.  As it seems the most expedient way to conduct town business, the answer was yes.  In that event, he said that they would install some cabling to the 2^nd floor just to have it done when needed.

Rod said he would focus on the changes and develop a presentation with pricing.

Harry Power announced that he had done some research and learned that we cannot bond any project without a minimum of a one-year (2009) outside, professional audit being in place.  A three-year audit might be better.  It was also noted that even a lenient bank would charge higher interest with no audit in place, and provide a limited loan over a shorter period.  Dick Briere asked the Committee to consider that we might need to wait for a year to do work at the Gould House, and that we also need to be working on improvements to the library, police station and fire station, not just these two buildings. 

The school budget hearing and annual school board meeting are February 4^th and March 4^th respectively.  The January 28^th meeting date was discussed in that at least four members will be unavailable that evening.  Our next meeting will be January 21^st and an alternate date for the 28^th will be discussed then.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________

Sandy Holland

Building Committee Minutes

7:00 PM January 7, 2010

Stoddard Town Hall

Members present: Penny Betz, Dick Briere, Lou GrandPré, Sandy Holland,

                                 Harry Power, Amy Rokoszak, Alan Rumrill, David Vaillancourt

Absent:                  P. J. Lamothe

Dick Briere called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

Chairman Dick Briere opened the meeting with comments on how we “backtracked” at our last meeting.  He stated that the Committee needs to decide – and get proposals – on what it is going to cost to renovate the Gould House into office space.  We have plans from the college and from an architect and a builder will be needed in both instances.  We need an architect to refine the information provided by KSC.  If we go with Mr. Monahon, we are looking at another $125K more to accomplish.  We need to do a lot of ripping out and rebuilding.  What do we want, an architect or a builder?  Are we going to tell Rod Parsons that we want to gut and rebuild?  Rod and Fred Mohr are currently working on refining their proposal for the work we indicated we wanted to consider.

Harry Power suggested that we give the public two proposals for the Gould House, one for the absolute basics, and another with amenities.  Amy Rokoszak asked if we are going to do it correctly, or should we have a five-year plan to accomplish the work in stages.  Harry Power iterated that there are basic things at the Gould House that must be addressed.  Amy Rokoszak stated we should tell the public all the things that are wrong with the Gould House and the Town Hall, present the entire picture regardless how it is paid for.  The Gould House has to be done in one piece.

Lou GrandPré stated that Dick Briere has been trying to get some consensus to make a decision.  Dick said that we have to do a pre-presentation to the public by mid-February.  We have +/- 800 registered voters in town, and there are nine of us.  Our job is to bring it to the voters.  While most of us are in favor of renovating the Gould House the voters will ultimately decide what will be done and when. 

Dick Briere said that this past Monday, water pipes had burst in the ladies’ room of Town Hall.  The boiler shut down long enough for the left (west) side of the building to freeze.  The furnace must be replaced in the coming year, and it would be wise to go with gas – eliminating the chimneys, tanks, storage shed, and it’s cleaner and cheaper.  The kitchen sink pipe doesn’t drain.  He authorized the plumber to cut the line, as it was the only way to resolve the issue.  The pipe goes uphill and ice was built up in it.  Heating, wiring, plumbing can be done incrementally, but for the moment we need to tell Rod to get us bids so we get a very close approximation what it will cost.  There was unanimous agreement that we should pursue with Rod.

Dick also reported that a few weeks previous, the door of the Gould House facing the parking lot had been left open.  When he discovered it, the furnace was churning away.  Also, lights have been left on in the basement and another time on the 2^nd floor.  He has changed the locks and feels it is now secure, but the appearance is that someone has been going into the building.

Returning to the subject of the public informational meeting, Harry Power noted that we will need handouts for attendees.  New construction will be presented as an option to renovating the Gould House.  All this Committee is going to do is provide the information, and the voters can vote in May on what they want to do.  This meeting will be advertised to obtain greater attendance and interest so that people go into Town Meeting knowing what to expect.  Dick Briere suggested we ask Casey Farrar, Sentinel reporter, to put something in the paper, and we can post notices at the stores and other town offices.  We should decide on a date and one alternate storm date.  Rod Parsons will be asked to come in to do a “dry run” of a presentation.

It was noted that the police station needs something, a trailer or an addition, more than what it has.  David Vaillancourt was asked to come up with a sketch/ idea for a 20’ x 12’ addition for the police station, something workable with the existing building and ADA compliant.  KSC did two proposals for the library that should be considered at some time.  Dick asked Lou if he would mind talking with the fire department to determine their priority needs.  The Fire Chief has said that some outside work and roof work need to be done, and had given Harry Power some numbers for the minimal amount of work discussed.  Harry Power noted that any new construction, additions, etc. after July 2010 must be ADA compliant.  An engineer or architect can certify compliance. 

Lou GrandPré said that we have hired Baybutt to do a job, we’ve put them on the spot, so let’s let them do what they were hired to do.  It was noted that Rod can meet with us on the 14^th or the 28^th. 

We need to check the school calendar as their budget hearing and annual school board meeting are coming up in the near future.  The next meetings are tentatively scheduled for January 14^th, 21^st and 28^th.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________

Sandy Holland