TOWN OF SUTTON
Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall
93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH
Sutton Mills, NH 03221
Board of Selectman
August 20, 2018 @ 4:00 p.m.

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by William I. Curless, Chair.  Present at the meeting were, William I. Curless, Chair; Dane Headley, Selectman; Robert Wright, Jr., Selectman; Jonathan Korbet, Police Chief; Robert DeFelice; Budget Committee Chair; Kevin Rowe, Deputy Fire Chief; Andrew Palmer, Budget Committee and Fire Department Addition Building Committee; Gail Guertin, Budget Committee, Ken Holmes, C.E.O, North Branch Construction; Kelly Gale, Architect, KLG Architecture and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

There was a  brief recess at 4:57 p.m.  At 4:59 p.m. Selectman Curless made a motion to enter into non-public session under under RSA 91-A:3, II in order to conduct personnel evaluation for the Police Chief.   Selectman Headley seconded the motion.  The Board was polled with Selectman Curless, Selectman Wright and Selectman Headley voting in the affirmative.  Public Session resumed at 5:29 p.m.  The minutes were not sealed.  A performance evaluation was conducted for the police chief.  Evaluation forms are being “re-evaluated.”

5:30     Ken Holmes, CEO, North Branch Construction and Kelly Gale, Architect, KLG Architecture, Kevin Rowe, Deputy Fire Chief and Andy Palmer, Fire Department and Budget Committee Member, Robert DeFelice, Budget Committee Chair and Gail Guertin, Budget Committee Member,  met with the Board to discuss recommendations regarding proceeding with  the Fire Department Addition project which was approved at the March 13, 2018 Town Meeting.

 

Mr. Holmes reviewed the three recommended methods for delivery of a municipal project of this scope as follows:

·         Design, Bid, Build:  the owner contracts design services from an architect and designs the project per owner specifications.  Once the specifications are complete the job is bid out in an open bid.  The open bid is not necessarily the best process as corners might be cut in order to achieve a low bid (i.e. build schedule, insurance, material quality, and administrative/managerial expertise).

·         Construction Management:  The owner selects and contracts with an architect/design team and enters into a contract separating the project into two phases:  pre-construction and construction.  Typically, an agreement is reached for a maximum fixed price for pre-construction services.  The Construction Manager is responsible for managing construction and subcontractors.

·         Design, Build:  Owners solicit proposals from Design, Build firms.  The Design, Build firm either works for a fee or a lump sum amount.  This is a qualifications-based approach.

 

Mr. Holmes acknowledged that the Fire Department Addition Committee had done a good job with their preliminary drawings.  However, they were not stamped, not complete for construction, code, permitting, insurances etc.  The preliminary drawings had outline specifications, but they did not contain enough detail to go forward with the project.  The existing building was built under older codes and there are nuances that need to be looked at such as the roof build-over, snow load, and whether the building is going to be used for shelter or sleeping.   More investigation and an engineering study are required in order to adequately design and construct the structure.

 

Selectman Curless asked Mr. Holmes what he would recommend in order to go forward with the project.  Mr. Holmes felt that more funding would be required which the town would need to approve at the 2019 Town Meeting. Mr. Holmes recommended that between now and January, the Town bring on board either a design builder or a construction manager to work with a committee comprised of a selectman, a budget committee member, and representative from the fire department personnel.  The Committee would review the plan, price out options, and make structural determinations (requires structural engineer analysis).  A bid to the sub-trades would be necessary in order to have a firm number.  Mr. Holmes recommended that you look at the estimated life of the building during the design process, noting that for most municipal buildings the life expectancy is 25 years.  Selectman Headley observed that the fire department was built around 1974 and asked whether it might have exceeded its “building life.” Selectman Headley added that it is sometimes more cost effective to start from scratch than to renovate.  Mr. Holmes said that he has looked at the building, and it appears to be structurally sound.  In addition, the slab is good condition.  Mr. Holmes indicated that the roof needs to be looked at by a structural engineer.   Selectman Wright emphasized that the focus of the Board was public safety and safety for the volunteers, adding that the volunteers need quality equipment and a guarantee of a safe place to work and meet.

 

Selectman Wright asked what makes sense Design/Build or Construction Management.  Mr. Holmes recommended Construction Management for municipalities, stressing the legal and fiduciary responsibility of the Select Board.  When you hire a design firm and a construction manager you have very clear legal checks and balances that the Town can rely on absolutely.

 

Deputy Chief Rowe commended the building committee on the nice job that they had done, adding that Andy Palmer was on the committee.  He noted that the committee worked with a reputable builder who was experienced with fire department facilities in order to arrive at their preliminary design and cost estimate for the addition.

 

A timeline for going forward was discussed.  Mr. Holmes advised that an existing conditions review , code review, engineering, design and cost analysis (resulting in a guaranteed maximum price) would need to be completed for a bond hearing in January.  Any additional costs would need to be approved the March 2019 Town Meeting.  If additional funding is approved, construction would likely start in April or May, 2019.  There was a brief discussion of siting the addition in a detached location.  Mr. Holmes agreed that other contingencies would be looked at by the committee.

 

Selectman Headley made a motion to have North Branch provide a Construction Management Proposal by the end of the week.  Selectman Wright seconded the motion which passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

Kelly Gale, Architect will continue with the code review at her hourly rate and will submit a revised proposal for her services in conjunction with the structural engineering firm.

 

Selectman Wright underscored the importance of the fire department’s support for the project.

 

 

The minutes from August 13, 2018 were approved as written.  The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

PAYROLL MANIFEST:   $11,293.84

VENDOR MANIFEST:     $13,437.88

 

The Board reviewed and approved the following building permits:

Robert Godkin, 02-763-419, High Mowing Road, for a chicken coop

John Mock, 07-913-304, Rte 114, for interior renovations

 

NEW BUSINESS:

There was a general discussion regarding the 2019 budget process.  Town Departments and organizations going before the budget committee will meet with the Board of Selectmen a week prior to their budget committee meeting.  The Budget Committee will approve their meeting schedule at their meeting on 8/27/2018.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

The Board received an update on Hazardous Waste Day.  Fourteen Sutton residents participated in the event recycling 15 units of hazardous waste.  (A unit equals 5 gallons or 20 pounds).  Budgeting for next year’s event based on previous year experience was discussed.

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

Selectman Wright reviewed the legislative bulletin.  Highlighting the following legislation:

·         Secretary of State has sole authority to reschedule Town Meeting.

·         Beginning in 2019, interest rates on delinquent property taxes will drop.

·         Beginning in 2019, there will be new restrictions on employment of retired NHRS members.

·         Record retention for personnel files will be for 20 years rather than 50.

·         10.4 million in state aid was approved for high traffic-volume municipal bridges.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Elly Phillips

Town Administrator