Finance Committee

REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MARCH 20, 2013 A meeting of the Finance Committee was held on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber. Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, Chair, presided. Members of the Committee present: Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire, Vice Chair Alderman-at-Large David W. Deane Alderman-at-Large Barbara Pressly Alderman June M. Caron Members not in Attendance: Alderman Paul M. Chasse, Jr. Alderman Arthur T. Craffey, Jr. Also in Attendance: Karen Smith, Business Manager, NPD Captain Hammond, NPD Sergeant Harvey, NPD PUBLIC COMMENT COMMUNICATIONS From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Purchase of Two Police Dogs Requested by Nashua Police Department (Value: $13,000) MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE FROM TBLACKK9 IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,000. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN DEPARTMENT 150, POLICE DEPARTMENT; DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DRUG FORFEITURE FUND; 71, EQUIPMENT ON THE QUESTION Alderman Deane I have a question on the funding on our reoccurring cost and how that is going to be handled. Mayor Lozeau Is it a question you think the police could answer or is it a question you think the CFO needs to answer? Alderman Deane I have an option? Mayor Lozeau They are all here tonight. Alderman Deane I know; this is unusual. Probably the police department because they are the ones dealing with the fund. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 2 Alderman Pressly I have an initial question. Did we lose one of the two dogs that we already met? Mayor Lozeau We have two dogs that are retiring. Alderman Pressly Oh, they were beautiful. Alderman Deane Do they get a pension? Karen Smith No, they don’t. Mayor Lozeau Based on their diet, I’m not sure they’ll live long enough to enjoy it even if they had one. Alderman Deane Other than the names, I don’t know what you’re going to call them. One is Arex Vom Hugelblick and the other one is Tango. But my question is the reoccurring cost of maintenance of the dog. Is the dog going to remain with its handler all the time? Karen Smith Yes. This is a replacement dog. The costs are items that we’ve already had in our budget as far as any related expenses. The trainer when they train, contract items that are already established in their contract. There’s no new costs involved. Alderman Deane That’s already budgeted. Karen Smith Yes. I will add, though, that any new costs associated with purchasing these dogs to set them up will be from forfeiture funds, but as far as the regular maintenance items for feeding the dog, those types of things, those are regularly budget. There will have to be a new kennel because obviously there’s a new dog being held at a different trainer. Those will be items that we’ll be purchasing through forfeiture funds to establish those purchases. Alderman Deane Each animal is going to have one handler, period, right? Finance – 03/20/13 Page 3 Unidentified Speaker Yes. Alderman Deane And that one handler, what do they do with the dog, take the dog home at night? Mayor Lozeau I see all heads are nodding yes including the liaison. Alderman Wilshire is nodding yes. Alderman Deane And then the department pays for the food and bed fills? Karen Smith That’s included in our original budget. Alderman Deane That was just my question. Good luck. Alderman Pressly I’d just like to say that one of the highlights of police program that you offered to us was to meet your two beautiful dogs. Are those the dogs that are retiring? Captain Hammond No. The two dogs that retired, actually, one of them was Sgt Harvey’s. We retired that dog in late 2009. The other dog retired in late 2011. Alderman Pressly So you have a K9 staff of four? Captain Hammond This is going to bring us up to four. Alderman Pressly They are wonderful, wonderful creatures. It sort of takes me back to the days where we had mounted police. Mayor Lozeau Don’t be any ideas. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 4 Alderman Pressly I hope you have a lot of space. I really do believe that people respond differently to animals. They can bite and kick where people don’t. I think it’s a great tool that we have. I hope we get to meet these two. Do you have nicknames for them? Sergeant Harvey Tango and Arex. The one with the very long name will just be Arex. Alderman Pressly Are you going to be the handler of that dog? Sergeant Harvey No, I’ll be the sergeant in charge. The two handlers have been named: Officer Michael Langley and Office Eric Walker. Alderman Pressly Are they used exclusively for the driver or do you find them used in other Captain Hammond They perform their normal duties. They go out in cars. They patrol sectors. When there is a call for a dog, they’ll respond to that dog. Alderman Pressly I think they’re a wonderful part of your team. MOTION CARRIED From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Manchester Street Bridge Study & Design Contract Amendment #4 (Value: $13,826) MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND AUTHORIZE AMENDMENT #4 TO THE CONTRACT WITH CLD CONSULTING ENGINEERS FOR A NET CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,826. SOURCE OF FUNDING IS DEPARTMENT 160, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION/ ENGINEERING; CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND; MANCHESTER STREET BRIDGE ON THE QUESTION Alderman Deane Is this bridge actually ever going to get built? Mayor Lozeau I knew you were going to ask that question. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 5 Alderman Deane I was on the Board of Public Works when we did Tinker, Thornton and the one down on Searles Road. We were just waiting for some discussion to be had with Merrimack. Here it is 13 years later or whatever and we’re still doing amendments. It’s like five strides and you’re on the other side of it. Mayor Lozeau I understand. The answer, Alderman Deane, is that apparently over the 13 years we’ve talked about there was delay because the Town of Merrimack didn’t have it in one of its priorities so it was waiting until they moved it up to a priority for their share of the funding. Then I know since I’ve come on the biggest problem has been the issue surrounding historic resources. Multiple drafts of what the bridge design would be like, what the height would be like. As a matter of fact, at the last Board of Public Works meeting, I told him that I had thought that we had gone with the high design. There was a low, a mid and a high. I thought we went with the high design because they wanted to make sure that the granite blocks would be seen. Alderman Deane Don’t we have to keep the bridge that’s there? Mayor Lozeau We do. Alderman Deane In tact underneath it. Mayor Lozeau That’s my understanding. I was actually incorrect. The city engineer was not at the last meeting so it’d really the mid level bridge that we’re going with. My understanding is that we expect to have the contract out for construction in September and then the work will begin. That’s where we are right now. Alderman Deane Thank you. MOTION CARRIED From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Purchase of Special Bollards Change Order #2 (Value: $8,561) MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDER #2 TO THE CONTRACT WITH SWENSON GRANITE FOR A NET CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,561. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN DEPARTMENT 161, STREETS DEPARTMENT; GENERAL FUND ESCROWS; MAIN STREET PROJECT ON THE QUESTION Mayor Lozeau These are the bollards for Block 2. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 6 Alderman Deane At our last finance meeting, we had the curbing, right? Mayor Lozeau We had the curbing. We the light poles, and we had the lights. Alderman Deane And this is the same price? Mayor Lozeau They held their price from last time. Right behind we’ll just keep going. Hopefully Block 3 and get these done. Alderman Deane What’s that? Mayor Lozeau I said this is for Block 2. Hopefully Block 3 will be coming not far behind it. Alderman Caron Since you have another block, wouldn’t be a good idea to do Block 3 and try to keep that at the same price? Mayor Lozeau That is a good idea, and that is what we’re looking at. That’s why I said Block 3 might be right behind it. Alderman Caron Okay, alright. Thank you. MOTION CARRIED From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Contract Award for Broad Street Parkway Architectural Historian Services Tasks 6 Thru 12 (Value: $88,352); MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND, CONTINGENT UPON FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT APPROVAL, AWARD THE CONTRACT TO HISTORIC DOCUMENTATION IN AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $88,352. SOURCE OF FUNDING IS DEPARTMENT 160, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION/ENGINEERING; CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND; BROAD STREET PARKWAY MOTION CARRIED Finance – 03/20/13 Page 7 From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Broad Street Parkway Bridge Phase Final Design Amendment #1 (Value: $43,944) MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND, CONTINGENT UPON FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT APPROVAL, AUTHORIZE AMENDMENT #1 TO THE CONTRACT WITH FAY SPOFFORD & THORNDIKE FOR A NET CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $43,944. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN DEPARTMENT 160, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION/ ENGINEERING; CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND; BROAD STREET PARKWAY ON THE QUESTION Alderman Pressly Are these the final designs that you will be bringing to the joint meeting again or can you fill me in a little bit what these are for and what has really been chosen? Mayor Lozeau Probably the best thing to do is start with the memo that follows after the blue page. The Board of Public Works breaks it down into the four items that this is going to speak to. Revision of the river bridge design. What’s behind that is instead of having the bridge with a long retaining wall which would have it ten feet above grade, we’ve determined that we can actually put it on the ground without the retaining wall. The first piece of this contract would be to redesign that without the retaining wall. The second piece is the bridge rail and surface treatment enhancements which have to be designed to be part of the third item which is the bid alternatives; those things that we talked about in our last joint meeting. In order to get a price on those to know if we want to go forward, they have to do some design work. The last one is the GeoTech engineering which relates to the ground around the Baldwin and Fairmount Street bridges for the two bridges. As you recall in the joint meeting, the Baldwin Street bridge and the Fairmount Street bridge, remember we had like two large archways, a small one under the railroad kind of giving it a bit of a tunnel look and a wider one over the road. We all agreed that it probably wasn’t a good idea to spend the money to try to make that look that way in that location. This is based on that joint meeting and then a follow up meeting at the Board of Public Works. This is to say we’re going to take those out, but let’s look at landscaping. Can we do some landscaping things around there to take that look down a bit affordably. That’s what that is. Alderman Pressly Do you think it would be appropriate to bring this final design work to the full Board? Mayor Lozeau As soon as we get bids on some of it. But yes, I do think that … Alderman Pressly Just sort of for final stamp of approval. Mayor Lozeau You’ll see some rails and things like that. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 8 Alderman Pressly I think on the design work there was quite a variety of reaction. I think they would like to at least have some idea what the final choice is. Mayor Lozeau I agree. Alderman Pressly If we approve this, you’re going to just go out for bid, is that it? Mayor Lozeau No. Alderman Pressly You’re going to do it. Mayor Lozeau If we approve this, they’re going to start the work. As part of that work, they can come in and meet with us again, provide something for us to talk about. What I’m trying to say to you is we will have a joint meeting again. We will talk more about design. Alderman Pressly Okay because the word says final. Sometimes final doesn’t mean just final, final, final, final. Mayor Lozeau Part of it is about the bid alternative. Let’s just say we go out and say we want you to give us more ideas about this and costs. They’ll design some things. The one thing that the Board of Public Works did vote to do was to put the outlooks on each side of the river bridge so people can step on the side of the bridge and look out over. That little round area. That’s the one thing for certain the Board of Public Works agreed we should have on the river bridge. That’s $100,000 cost. All of those other items are still in play, still being discussed. You have to start getting some idea around them so when the bid alternatives come in, so let’s say for instance bid alternatives come in and they say if you want this design, it will cost $100,000. If you want this design, it will cost $500,000. If you want this one, it’s a million dollars. There will be multiple conversations along the way. Alderman Pressly Thank you, that’s what I was interested in. I think after that meeting a lot of us, I know I did, and I travel with some friends, and we all started looking at bridges, particularly the mesh and the curb. So we still will have some choices to make. Mayor Lozeau There will still be choices to make. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 9 Alderman Deane On the memo in the front, down below in the amendment, it cites NRO 5-90(e). Mayor Lozeau This means it’s going to go to the full Board. Alderman Deane But if you read what it says, 5-90(e) approval by the finance committee of a contract award in excess of a million dollars. Mayor Lozeau Currently we have a contract with them for just under a million. This amendment will put it over a million. Alderman Deane So any amendment here on out has to go to the full board? Mayor Lozeau If the design goes over a million dollars, which this will have that happen, it does have to go to the full Board. After that, I think it would be over a million dollars. Once it’s approved, it’s approved over a million. If they come back and there’s a $9,000 change, it wouldn’t require going to finance or the full Board. Alderman Deane What was the total dollar amount of the original contract? Mayor Lozeau Nine hundred and seventy-seven thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three dollars. Alderman Deane So $43,944 sends it up to $1,021,807. Mayor Lozeau Correct. Alderman Deane So it puts it over a million. Mayor Lozeau Right. Alderman Deane So my question is if any other amendments come in, do they have to be approved by the full Board as well? Finance – 03/20/13 Page 10 Mayor Lozeau No. Alderman Deane Just by the finance committee. Mayor Lozeau Correct, within the scope of the finance committee responsibility. Any amendments that are $10,000 or greater. Alderman Deane I know that part. Thank you. MOTION CARRIED From: Robert Gabriel, Purchasing Manager Re: Broad Street Parkway Roadway Phase Final Design Amendment #1 (Value: $51,662) MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND, CONTINGENT UPON FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT APPROVAL, AUTHORIZE AMENDMENT #1 TO THE CONTRACT WITH HAYNER/SWANSON FOR A NET CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,662. SOURCE OF FUNDING IS DEPARTMENT 160, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION/ENGINEERING; CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND; BROAD STREET PARKWAY ON THE QUESTION Mayor Lozeau This one, Alderman Pressly, has three components. One is the profile of the road now that we’re not going to have the retaining wall which we talked about in the last one. It also is talking about the timber bridges on Baldwin Street and Fairmount Street to do an analysis on whether we can move those and reuse those in another site. The last thing it does is the permitting for the Nashua canal where there’s an outlet that is considered a dam. We have to do some permitting around that. If you head into the Millyard and you head towards the Peter Bonnette property, there’s almost like a little peak there at the tip. As you drive down the Pine Street Extension and you head to the left like you’re going to go to where the community music school in that general area, there’s a little waterworks going on there. That’s what the third piece is for. Alderman Deane I’m a little shocked that we’d pay somebody to do an analysis on two bridges to move them somewhere else. How does that fall under the use of these parkway funds or federal highway dollars? Mayor Lozeau It’s a requirement under our agreement with Historic Resources, that the bridges that we’re going to replace are historic trestle bridges. The expectation is that we have to determine whether it’s feasible that they can be moved or not. Finance – 03/20/13 Page 11 Alderman Deane Was Historic Resources around when they redid the Baldwin Street bridge? I’m just saying this is ridiculous. Mayor Lozeau The Historic Resources, I think that there’s a time and a place for all of it, but it has been a very expensive journey with Historic Resources on this project. Alderman Deane I can understand some of their issues or responsibilities or concerns but especially as it pertains to buildings but this doesn’t make any sense. Those bridges have never been structurally sound enough to carry a concrete truck over them. The Fairmount Street bridge anyway. The Baldwin Street bridge couldn’t do that to begin with. It doesn’t make any sense to be spending money on that. Mayor Lozeau We potentially have a few locations where they may be able to be used. I think it makes sense to reuse them if we can. We’ve talked about the parcel between Gate City Fence and the Police Training Building. That’s over the back of the canal. That could potentially be a good location for one of these. The location that we talked about at Mohawk Tannery where EPA right now is doing a study for us at their cost to determine if there’s any clear land there at Mohawk Tannery that we can subdivide a piece off, potentially put a bridge there to extend it into pedestrian Mine Falls Park locations. If there is an opportunity to use them again, it would be great to be able to use them again. I don’t know if we will but at least on this one I think the cost of building bridges in some of those locations could be quite expensive. If we could use these and expose the trestles and didn’t let vehicle traffic use them, even the rotary park on Main Street. The design of that included a bridge from one side of the park to the other side of the park. If one of these could be used there. Again just for pedestrian traffic, not vehicle traffic, it might be worth trying. Alderman Deane Where is the money coming to do this? Mayor Lozeau It depends on its location, and it depends on if Historic Resources wants to use it. It’s very much like the waste house or the D F Shea building, another name for it. Historic Resources, we have to investigate the feasibility and the cost associated with moving that building and keeping it within the manufacturing district. The project costs, we’ll have to pay for that. If there’s another piece that needs to be reused because of the feasibility shows that the bridge can be used, we’ll have to see how that plays out. Alderman Deane Thank you. I will not be supporting this. Alderman Pressly I would like to speak in support of these historic bridges. Our history is not just buildings. It’s the way we lived, the way we walked and the way we drove. Those bridges have been critical to this part, to the Millyard and to those neighborhoods. If they can become footbridges and add connections for pedestrians, I think it’s great. I’d like to also say we don’t have any local historians really involved, I don’t think. The Historic District Commission is not involved in this. The Historical Society is not. The only professionals we Finance – 03/20/13 Page 12 have involved are the people from out of town. Although it may seem expensive, I think it’s been part of this project from the very beginning. I think the bridges are worth reusing along with all of the parts that we have. If there are other structural. We had also talked about there might be some gates left over from the boiler house. We were trying to find them. The doors. You have them? Mayor Lozeau Yes, we have the boiler doors. They are on site. We maintain them. They’re very heavy. Alderman Pressly They are still at the boiler house? Mayor Lozeau They are. One of the things that we’ve talked about is I’d really like to see if we can move them. Put them upright and put them as an entrance along the Canal still in that district and maybe with a plaque that says what they are and where they are from and walk through them like you’re strolling in the park. Alderman Pressly This I totally support because this really was an industrial site. I think it’s important to have the symbols. If those bridges look a little old and rickety, that’s probably appropriate too. This is one of the oldest. We were known for our industrial involvement and leadership in those days so I support any way that we can recycle what’s there and highlight the working part of the Millyard. Thank you. MOTION CARRIED UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW BUSINESS – None DISCUSSION RECORD OF EXPENDITURES MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS COMPLIED WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO THE RECORD OF EXPENDITURES FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 1, 2013 TO MARCH 14, 2013 ON THE QUESTION Alderman Deane If I find a dollar amount and there’s parenthesis around it, what does that mean? Mayor Lozeau Generally a negative. Alderman Deane So it’s a negative. If a check was cut in error, it’s still processed. Is that how it works? Finance – 03/20/13 Page 13 Mayor Lozeau Yes because you don’t want to void a check and not demonstrate that you wrote it to begin with. It’s an accounting, auditing. That way you don’t have any missing check numbers when your auditors come in. Alderman Deane So if I find a negative sign, I’ll just find parenthesis. I won’t find any negative signs any longer? Mayor Lozeau It’s likely parenthesis but I can’t promise that you’ll never find a minus sign. That will happen from time to time. Alderman Deane Does that mean the same thing? Mayor Lozeau It does. Alderman Deane I’m glad my colleagues are so up-to-date on this. I just had to ask for myself. MOTION CARRIED PUBLIC COMMENT POSSIBLE NON-PUBLIC SESSION ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ADJOURN MOTION CARRIED The Finance Committee meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Committee Clerk, pro tem