August 27, 2014 Facilities Sub Meeting

Agenda

Quincy School Committee
Facilities and Security Subcommittee
Mr. David McCarthy, Chairperson
Coddington Hall
Wednesday, August 27, 2014, 6:00 p.m.

  1. Introductions/Agenda Review - Mr. McCarthy

  2. Construction Project Updates
    * North Quincy Intersection Reconstruction
    * North Quincy High School/Teel Field

  3. Parks Department Update - Mr. Cassani
    * Atlantic Middle School Project
    * School Grounds Summer Update

  4. School/Public Building Projects
    * Maintenance/SIP Requests Update - Mr. Murphy
    * HVAC Summer/Ongoing Projects - Mr. Scott
    * Coddington Hall - Mr. MacDonald
    * MSBA Window & Door Replacement Projects - Mr. MacDonald
    * Sterling Middle School - Dr. DeCristofaro
    * Solar Panel Installations - Ms. Dein
    * Exterior Lighting Upgrades - Ms. Dein
    * Central Middle School Punchlist - Mr. Cunniff

  5. Adjournment/Thank You!

Minutes

Quincy School Committee
Facilities & Security Subcommittee Meeting
Wednesday, August 27, 2014

A meeting of the Facilities & Security Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 6:00 pm at Coddington Hall. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Noel DiBona, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, and Mr. Dave McCarthy, Chair. Also attending were Superintendent DeCristofaro, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. Christopher Cassani, Mr. Gary Cunniff, Ms. Shelly Dein, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. Walter MacDonald, Mr. Kevin Murphy, Mr. David Scott; Ms. Allison Cox, President of the Quincy Education Association; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Mr. McCarthy called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and reviewed the meeting purpose and agenda.

Parks Director Mr. Cassani noted the recent death of Mr. Joseph Koch, long-time veteran of many Parks and Department of Public Works projects. At the Atlantic Middle School, work on the project began over April vacation and included infrastructure and drainage, field restoration, fencing, paving, and will be finished with landscaping to be installed in September. The school has a remodeled dropoff/pickup area and the MBTA buses serving the school have been re-routed. A bike rack will be installed in mid-September.

Mr. Bregoli asked about landscaping at North Quincy High School; Mr. Cassani said that would follow the window replacement project in Summer 2015. Mr. McCarthy asked about sidewalks around Atlantic and all have been installed along with new crosswalks. Principal MacNeil will be sending out information about the new dropoff pickup pattern.

Mr. Cassani then reviewed the greenspace project on the former Quincy High School site; Mr. Koch was an integral part of this project and the timeline will be affected by his death. A stone wall is to be constructed beginning next week, then the loam will be spread and the irrigation system installed. Paving components will follow the sod installation. Tree and perennial plantings will also be part of the project. Bidding is completed and contracts will be awarded shortly. Substantial completion is scheduled for early November. Mr. McCarthy asked about drainage to ensure that the Quincy High School concourse does not receive additional water runoff. Mr. Cassani said that the design has been revised and the stone wall will assist in drainage.

General maintenance of shrubs, trees, and trimming is scheduled to be completed this week to prepare for the opening of school. Additional safety fiber was installed at Lincoln Hancock, Wollaston, and Beechwood Knoll Elementary schools. The Squantum playground will be completed in October and the Atherton Hough playground construction funded through a Community Preservation grant was completed during the summer. Upgrades are planned for other playgrounds later this fall or early next spring: Wollaston, Parker, and Lincoln Hancock. At Clifford Marshall, an additional playground for younger students was funded through the Community Preservation act and will be completed next spring during April vacation. Mrs. Mahoney requested a chart of the various projects completed at schools to be updated going forward.

Ms. Isola asked about the sidewalks near Beechwood Knoll, they have been affected by the sewer replacement project. Mr. Cassani said his understanding is that the sidewalks will be replaced at the project’s completion, but he will check with DPW on any spot repairs needed. Mr. McCarthy asked about mowing at Central and that is now part of the Parks department schedule.

For the North Quincy High School project, Traffic & Engineering will present on this project at a later date. Ms. Isola asked that communication be sent to parents prior to traffic adjustments. Dr. DeCristofaro said that we will work with DPW Commissioner Raymondi to ensure that parents have information in a timely fashion.

Mr. Murphy and Mr. Scott then reviewed the summer Maintenance projects completed at all schools. The project of re-striping parking lots at all schools in coordination with the DPW was completed this summer. Computer labs were constructed at Beechwood Knoll and Wollaston. At Bernazzani, the gymnasium ceiling was re-insulated and a new hot water heater installed. At Lincoln Hancock, bathroom faucets and a mixing valve were replaced. At Clifford Marshall, building control issues were addressed and the heating/cooling fluid loop was services and recharged, including replacing valves. This was a major project, the first of three schools scheduled to be completed (Point Webster and North Quincy High School to follow). Merrymount also had maintenance done to the heating system. At Snug Harbor, the water main line to the school was replaced by the Water Department. At the Wollaston School, wood floors were sanded in three classrooms, completing that project. Heating system maintenance was performed at Atlantic, Broad Meadows, and Point Webster. At North Quincy High School, the building control system replacement is underway in both the older and newer sections of the building; installation of new thermostat devices on unit ventilators is also underway; and the History wing was completely refinished. At many schools, painting, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing work orders were completed, along with furniture and equipment moves.

Mr. McCarthy asked about Central, there is no glycol in the system. The building design limits exposure to outside air and there is much less risk of freezing than in older buildings. Mrs. Hubley asked about the classroom renovation at Squantum for an incoming hearing-impaired student; carpet was installed and sound-absorbing panels will be installed by the end of September. Mrs. Mahoney asked about how summer projects are prioritized. Principals submit their requests in the spring and Dr. DeCristofaro sets the priorities for major projects. Projects that are not completed over the summer will be added to School Improvement Plans. Mrs. Mahoney asked for detail about work completed in house vs. contractual or special funding.

Mr. MacDonald presented an update on the Coddington Hall project, which is substantially completed. Quincy Public Schools and the City IT department have moved in and the Planning Department is moving in September 8. Punchlist items are underway, including completing the AV room and tieing into QATV. The security system is state of the art, includes card readers and cameras. Exterior lighting is installed and landscaping completed. Mrs. Mahoney suggested communication to parents about business hours and building access.

For the Accelerated Repair Program, Wollaston, Merrymount, and North Quincy High School are being sent out for re-bid in September. The first round of bidding was much higher than the estimate and the projects have been re-evaluated and some elements have been reconsidered. Revised bid packages are being prepared, with the goal of releasing them on September 24, 2014. Contractor walkthroughs are October 7, 2014 and bids due November 5, 2014. This will allow for manufacturing order to be placed early in the season with the goal of windows being available in April.

For Lincoln Hancock and Parker, the MSBA has assigned a designer and owner’s project manager. A preliminary meeting was held last week to review the project expectations, contract negotiation is underway, and preliminary walkthroughs completed. Schematic designs are due October 15, 2014; Inspectional Services provided building drawings. The MSBA board meeting is November 19, 2014. The goal is for all five schools to have new windows installed in Summer 2015.

Dr. DeCristofaro updated on the Sterling Middle School. The MSBA will require evidence of local funding authorization by October 30, 2014 so a City Council vote will be required. The Feasibility Study Agreement will be executed and an Owner's Project Manager and Designer selected. A Building Committee meeting will be scheduled for later in September.

Ms. Dein presented on the Solar Array Installations; the project is underway at eight buildings, with two more to follow later this week. The Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center and Wollaston sites are waiting for interconnectivity with the electrical utility to be completed. At Clifford Marshall, most of the solar panels are installed. Snug Harbor, North Quincy, Lincoln Hancock, Broad Meadows, and Squantum are all underway. Central, Quincy High School, and Bernazzani will all be underway by the end of the week. Parker, Atlantic, and Broad Meadows will begin in early September. Montclair, Atherton Hough, and Point Webster will begin later in the fall. Beechwood Knoll and Merrymount require roofing work, so will not be done until 2015. In exchange for these installations, the city will receive discounts on electrical usage costs for the next twenty years.

Mr. Bregoli asked about the new Sterling building; while it not part of this contract, it is likely that a new building will be solar-ready. Dr. DeCristofaro asked about a green roof vs. a solar array; Ms. Dein explained that there are different benefits. A green roof keeps a building cooler and retains water on the site. Mr. Bregoli asked about if there was any fire liability in having these on the roof, but we are self-insured. Mr. Bregoli asked what will happen if a new Squantum School is built; the panels are on a racking system and could be removed and re-installed. Mrs. Mahoney asked about safety. Principals have been involved with planning meetings of site-specific issues and security will continue to be monitored. Ms. Dein said that scaffolding and staircases are used outside the building as much as possible; workers have been through the CORI and National Background Check screenings.

Mrs. Mahoney asked for clarification on the roof issues at Beechwood Knoll and Merrymount. In both cases, the roofs are not suitable for panel installation due to age. New roofs will be installed, followed by solar arrays.

Under the competitive Green Communities Grant, Quincy was awarded $250,000 for retrocommissioning of the heating systems at Lincoln Hancock, Point Webster, and Clifford Marshall. Lighting upgrades are planned for Snug Harbor, Quincy High School (phase 2), Atherton Hough, Broad Meadows, and North Quincy High School. These will be completed over the course of this school year. Lighting upgrades were previously completed at Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Point Webster.

Mr. McCarthy asked about the outside lighting at Quincy High School. Ms. Dein said there were issues with the wall light installation and the contractor will be replacing the problematic units. Timing has continued to be an issue and while the system has been reprogrammed, it is still not working properly.

Director of Public Buildings Gary Cunniff updated on the remaining items on the Central Middle School punchlist. The general contractor is still responsible for completing these items, but none are major items that will impact the safe function of the building. Issues include the projection screen in the auditorium, an exhaust hood in a science lab, and other similar items. Dr. DeCristofaro said he will continue to work with Public Buildings to resolve these remaining items. Some of these items will be negotiated from the final contractor payment and may be completed by the city or a contractual service.

Mr. McCarthy said that he is planning walkthroughs at Central and at a few other school buildings after school begins.

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 pm. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.