School Building Committee

The City of Lowell • Office of the City Manager City Hall • 375 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 P: 978-674-4402 • F: 978-970-4007 www.Lowellma.gov Thomas A. Golden, Jr. City Manager School Building Committee Meeting Meeting Minutes Date: June 22, 2023 Time: 6:00 P.M Location: Mayor’s Reception Room / Zoom School Building Committee Members Present: Thomas A. Golden, Jr. (City Manager), Mike Vaughn (Chief Procurement Officer), Eileen DelRossi (School Committee Member), Richard Underwood (LHS Operations and Maintenance Director), Michael Fiato (Head of School), Conor Baldwin (Chief Financial Officer), Mark Byrne (Facilities & Infrastructure Manager), James Hall (COO Lowell Public Schools), David Peaslee (LPD Captain), William Samaras (Former Mayor of Lowell), Edward Kennedy (State Senator), Rodney Elliot (State Representative), Maryann Manzi (LPD), Jay Mason (Lowell Sustainability Council – Architect), Maria Sheehy, Benjamin Opara City Staff Present: Shawn Machado (Assistant City Manager), Paul St. Cyr (DPW Commissioner), Austin Ball (Deputy CFO) Perkins Eastman Consultants Present: Joe Drown, Robin Greenberg Skanska Consultants Present: Jim Dowd Suffolk Consultants Present: Pannha San Chung The order of business was as follows: I. Attendance / Roll Call: Meeting Called to order at 6:05 P.M by T. Golden and asked to accept and place on file remote / zoom participation, roll call showed 16 present. City of Lowell: T. Golden asked the committee to review the minutes from last months meeting and to make a motion to place on file. Minutes passed by roll call, motion by M. Manzi and 2 nd by Michael Vaughn. II. Suffolk: Phase 2 – Construction Update Pannha – June began exterior framing and it is up and in the next couple weeks they should start the sheathing. July, start Façade work and Roof weathertight on building F. August begin Façade work at building D. Exterior Framing in building F is up (along with some interior framing). Steel bridge is up with concrete slab. E. Delrossi– Can you please explain what weathertight means for the windows? Pannha - Not windows yet just roof building for roof tight and next month is façade tight. Weather type is the roof and all framing and once the duck work installed thats when we have the cleaner exhaust going in. W. Samaras- Are there any other items we should be concerned with Pannha- No should be a July turnover for 2024 for phase 2 J. Mason- Interested in the roof on freshman academy and if it will be finished in the upcoming months. Will it be solar reading? Pannha – Complete by July, but solar may not be done at the same time. Could be later in phase 2 III. MBE/WBE: Pannha - Total construction minority workforce is at 24.5%, the female workforce is 3.7%, total Lowell workforce is 10.4%. Suffolk has been having calls with subcontractors to try to increase these numbers. E. Kennedy – Commented that he would like to see percentages of MBE/WBE and workforce participation comparison every time. How does it compare to the initial goals set at the beginning of the project. Pannha- Minority goal was 15.3% (currently at 24.5%), Female workforce goal is 6.9% (currently at 3.7%), Not a goal on total construction. IV. Perkins Eastman - Designer Update: Robin – Shows image of student toilets available. Not all Private bathrooms are shown. In the basement there are 6 restrooms total, 3 for girls and 3 for boys. First floor, bathrooms are highlighted and distributed evenly. Same with second and third floors. More bathrooms than currently at high school. B. Opara – Asked about the revisions as it relates to the bathroom? Robin – The only revisions have been added to the third floor, added some bathrooms in part D in the image. E. DelRossi – How many bathrooms on each floor? Robin - Basement of east building there are 3 boys and 3 girl's bathrooms, east building first floor is 3 boys and 3 girls, second floor is 2 and 2, third floor is 3 and 3. West campus, first floor 3 and 3, second floor 2 and 2, third floor 2 and 2, fourth floor 1 and 1, fifth floor 1 and 1. Gym bathrooms are 1 and 1 and second floor 1 and 1. All multiuser bathrooms. E. Delrossi - Where did you get 90? Robin- Some bathrooms have 2 fixtures and others have 6 fixtures so it varies but 90 total W. Samaras – Asked M. Fiato if he is satisfied with the fixture distribution? M. Fiato - Yes, exceeds what we are currently using. W. Samaras – Are there Faculty bathrooms on each floor? Robin - Similar to student bathrooms but the difference is that they are all single users. Faculty Bathrooms: in the east, basement, 2 and 2 on the first floor, 3 and 3 on the second, third floor is 2 and 2. West building first floor is 3 and 3, second floor 2 and 2, third floor 3 and 3. Fourth and fifth each have 1 and 1. Total of 20 male and 20 female and 8 sweets off of hallways. R. Underwood – Are the student bathrooms being eliminated from Corburn hall? Robin - No, there should be some highlighted, in difference places where they currently are. Off the media library there are some. Changed the way the building is used, not as many people in that building. Media center will begin there, the old 2 level dancehall will now be media space. V. Skanska – Budget / Cash Flow Update Jim - The total budget for the LHS project is $381.9 million dollars and the MSBA has reimbursed the city $83.8 million to date. In construction contingency there is currently $19.4 million remaining and have 10 change orders pending totaling just over $1.7 million. Break down: Structural $25,611, Site is $51,780, Utilities is 133,510, Mech/Elec/Plumbing is $521,784, and Architectural/Other is $1,056,480. Pending change request is at 2.4 million, face value of how they are submitted and most get vetted, resulting in the price changing. But they do carry the whole number for tracking purchases. May invoices are 4.8 million and we have spent 133 million to date. M Vaughn – On the change order contingency, how is the architectural $1 million? Jim – It is not just architecture, it is anything else that’s not mech/elec/plumbing. J. Mason – Is $1.78 million dollar breakdown is in the packet and is 2.4 Million being evaluated Jim - Yes, and Yes Motions: J. Dowd – Three motions on the agenda. Discussed previously that we are not inclined to publish drawings to large groups for security reasons. If you stop by the office regarding it we will walk you through the drawings on any day. J. Mason – Can you please tell us what are the hours of the office? J. Dowd – Hours are 7 AM – 4 PM, at 116 John St. Across from boarding house park M. Byrne – Do we need to vote on this? T. Golden – We can take a voice vote if non are opposed, no opposed. W. Samaras – Will we see artistry renditions so we have an idea what the classroom space will be? Wants to see size of classrooms for baseline/visual knowledge. Are you pleased with classroom space? Joe - As we get closer to the completion of the project. Next year will be asking faculty/ students to go and see what they look like. Wants to present that info when the project is closer to finished. M. Fiato - Yes, important to have a lot of flexibility M. Byrne – Could be a great tool to keep kids at Lowell HS to be able to recruit junior high kids J. Dowd – Regarding the next motion they would recommend approval; we have put together a schedule that could be included within meeting minutes. J. Mason – For example we talked about the roof on freshman academy, could we drill down on that schedule, will there be enough line items to see when that is scheduled Jim - Yes, we can include that T. Golden – All in favor for motion B. Provide OAC minutes to SBC weekly, so moved. J. Dowd – Regarding next motion, we have had a lot of discussion with office and team. Never seen publishing OAC minutes done to the SBC. In the OAC meeting there are issues with how they are working with sub-contractors in negotiating in the best interest of the city, that is within OAC minutes. Interactions between the architect, Suffolk in the city and thinks it will inhibit the meetings and could be detrimental to the project if it becomes a public document. Once again, our door is open if anyone wants to see/talk about these documents, just not a large group. T. Golden - Any questions regarding motion C? B. Opara – If someone requests those minutes, will they be bound by confidentiality? Jim – We would have to confirm that with certain offices to get a definitive answer (City Solicitor and Attorney General offices) T. Golden – If approved, people may hold back on certain information if info is public and may be inhibited if information is held back. Dowd – Many city employees at these meetings so plenty people are informed about what is going on. E. Kennedy – A recommendation would be that the building committee could go into executive session and hear that information at that point – one option that would satisfy the request J. Mason – I think it makes sense for this committee to have as much information to inform us better on progress of the project. Is there a way to find a more detailed presentation and see more ongoing info? Jim - Could add a page/ summary of active issues – could do that going forward T. Golden - Motion C the recommendation would not to provide this weekly. But wants to follow up before vote. So, we want Mr. Dowd to create a weekly list of summaries and include them to the OAC, is that what I'm hearing from the body? M. Sheehy – Not just a summary but any issues that my percolate to the committee. Misconception that this committee is managing the construction of the project but there is a smaller group handling most of it. Raise the red flag for us so we know. T. Golden – Example: one of the issues inside the gym about the bleachers, which they said will be 3 weeks late. Essentially just a robust summary of what is happening? Jim – Would this be a weekly or monthly SBC report? T. Golden – Based on this feedback we would provide the OAC minutes to the SBC weekly, we are now going with a summary. Move to amend? All in favor – no opposed Next Steps: Jim – Strong summer ahead. Projects going in 1922 and 1980 building’s as well as wrapping up items in gym now that it's not occupied. W. Samaras – Offer a motion that would suggest we meet every other month or every three months if nothing needs to be presented Golden – Motion to go to every other month M. Sheehy- Open to only every other month Golden – Any committee members that would like to speak against it? M. Vaughn – Recommends that it stays monthly. J. Mason – Noted that he wants to be careful with this motion and would vote against E. Kennedy – Likes every other month with the ability for City manager to call one if needed. T. Golden – To summarize, the wish of the majority of the body is a meeting every other month with a monthly update? E. Kennedy – Please add to this motion that the city manager is able to call a meeting when needed. W. Samaras – Yes, I agree T. Golden –The amended motion is to meet every other month, with a monthly summary, and have the ability for City manager to call emergency meeting if needed. 16 voted yes, motion passed Jim - Votes next meeting to be held Thursday August 24th T. Golden - Votes next meeting to be held Thursday August 24 th, motion passes C. Baldwin – Wants to make Paul St. Cyr a member of the committee, usually we’ve had the public works commissioner on this committee – wants to take a vote E. Kennedy – The school committee hasn’t added an interim superintendent and would like to add them to the motion to be put on the committee. C. Baldwin – No objection, wants to also add Mrs. Delrossi for the record T. Golden – No opposed, motion passes. Committee members will get update from Mr. Dowd Motion to adjourn at 6:51, so moved.