The Brattleboro Police Fire Facility Committee will meet on April 25th at 4pm in the Hanna Cosman room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
Police-Fire Facility Committee
Thursday, April 18, 2013, 4:00pm
Hanna Cosman Room
Present: Phillip Chapman, Kathy Dowd, David Emery, Sr., Tony Farnum, Eli Gould, Robin Sweetapple, Prudence MacKinney, Steve Phillips, Steve Horton, Project Manager
Absent: David Emery, John Allen
Staff Present: Town Manager Barb Sondag, Asst Town Manager Patrick Moreland, Fire Chief Mike Bucossi, Asst Fire Chief Peter Lynch, Police Chief Gene Wrinn, Captain Mike Fitzgerald
Others Present: David Schoales
Meeting Confirmation- Sondag confirmed the meeting was appropriately warned.
Introductions and committee structure – Members introduced themselves and talked about what skills and experience each brought to the committee. Sondag suggested that the Committee appoint a Chair and Vice Chair. Dowd asked if anyone would like to be Chair. Phillips offered to be serve as a Chair or Vice Chair. Sweetapple offered to serve as Chair as well. Kathy Dowd motioned, with a second by MacKinney to approve the appointment of Sweetapple as Chair and Phillips as Vice-Chair. Unanimously approved.
Review of mission – Sondag reminded Committee members of the mission as approved by the Selectboard. There was some discussion of whether the Committee’s mission enabled it to make decision regarding topics such as renovations at the West Brattleboro Station. Sondag reminded the members that final decisions are made by the Selectboard and that the Committee should review and discuss a wide variety of matters. The Selectboard can provide feedback as necessary.
Review of past decisions/documents – Sondag reviewed the Feasibility Study and Proposed Solutions report from 2012 and asked if members had questions regarding the report. Sondag pointed out that the report contained programming needs as well as proposed square footage for the various programming needs. Phillips asked if the two Chiefs had prioritized the list of program needs. Sondag stated that the Chiefs had taken the programming recommendations from the 2001 proposed project, reviewed and reduced/eliminates some proposed program space. However they had not gone through the list of program space and prioritized the list. Phillips stated he would like to see programming space as a topic for discussion at an upcoming meeting.
Sondag also discussed the current status of the Purchase and Sale of the Dunnell Property.
Update on project status and next steps – Horton discussed current work. Request for Proposals are being sought for architects for final design. Horton discussed that the process by which final design is developed and explained that the project is currently at conceptual design. Once an architect is brought on we will have schematic design which represents 20% of the final design. At that time the committee is still in a place to make decisions about programming. At 20-60% of design the Committee will have the ability to make changes and decisions on some aspects such as HVAC systems. At 60% – 90% of final design the point of making changes to prior decisions starts to cost more money.
Horton stated that he, the Committee, and staff would review the architect bids and make a recommendation to the Selectboard. He suggested that this happen shortly after the close date of the Request for Proposals (May 14).
Horton suggested that the Committee wait one month to discuss the programming scope as previously requested by Phillips.
Horton is pursuing asbestos abatement information and getting ready to do work
Gould asked if Architect fees were percentage fees or if they are fee for services. Horton explained that the fees would be capped.
Financial update – Sondag presented the Committee with the bond repayment schedule and discussed with the Committee the pros and cons of splitting the bond over two years. The Committee requested that Finance Director John O’Connor come to the next meeting to discuss in more depth bond repayment and associated costs.
Adjourn – Prior to adjourning the Committee decided to meet every Thursday at 4:00pm until 5:30pm. Staff would meet with Horton at 3:00pm on Thursdays. The next meeting, Thursday the 25th. Members of the Committee who are interested in a tour of the stations should come to the West Brattleboro Station at 2:00pm on the 25th.
A motion to adjourn was made by Dowd and seconded by MacKinney.
