MARCH 1, 2006

ATTENDANCE: Mayor Richard A. Moccia; Steve Kerschner; Paul Arcario; John Tobin;
Nick Pacella; Doug Hempstead (5:37 p.m.); Stuart Opdahl

STAFF: John Hawley, Gilbane; Alan Lo, NFCC Coordinator

OTHER: Steve Rice, Skanska; Jack Orchulli, Assistant to the Mayor

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Moccia called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (S)

(None)

NORWALK SCHOOL PROJECTS

A. Brien McMahon High School/Center for Global Studies Improvement Project

1. Project update by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Hawley explained that Phase 3b is the last phase which started after Christmas break. During the February break, they completed all the demolition and abatement. The 1,800 sq ft addition that was put on in 1980 was in poor condition and was removed last week. The interior masonry, exterior masonry walls and new skins will be started next week. This is on track to be completed by this summer’s break. A tour will be scheduled during an NFCC meeting when the weather gets warmer. The gym floor has been repaired and replaced, but they are still going back and forth with the builder’s risk, the property carrier, and the contractor. The global studies floor will be repaired during the summer. They are still in the process of selecting materials. They hope to have a recommended flooring solution ready for the April NFCC meeting. Bamboo is not the solution being recommended by the architect. Mayor Moccia is concern about spending additional taxpayers’ money on this problem... He feels that the bamboo would be nice to fit in culturally with the Japanese studies. If the bamboo doesn’t work for practical reasons, he doesn’t want to put in another bamboo floor if it’s going to have the same problems.

Mr. Hempstead arrived at 5:37 p.m.

Mr. Hawley said the flooring area is 3,000 sq. ft., and it is not a fully humidity controlled building. He will be meeting with Dr. Corda and the architects. The initial installation was suspect, as the concrete was standing for 8 months before the bamboo floor was put down.

2. Review and approve the following change orders:

Bea #8050 $15,000.00 CM Contingency Misc phasing/coordination revisions
between Phase 3 and 3 a/b
CCA #20023 $19,705.00 Increase GMP Steel bar joist revisions in the G-wing due to existing field conditions
BEA #20129 $19,260.00 CM Contingency Spray fireproofer added mobilizations due
to sequencing/phasing changes
CCA #20166 $30,289.00 Increase GMP Wall revisions to shear walls and replace
unstable walls, RFI 543 & 602
BEA #20188 $12,000.00 CM Contingency Phasing sequence change to the phase 3b
underground work, for Phase 2 utilities
CCA #30005 $13,747.00 Increase GMP Replace unstable masonry walls in the Ph 3B
area per RFI 676

CCA #20023 for $19,260.00 was steel framing revisions in the L wing. None of the as-built drawings were accurate. It is now at an acceptable amount and the best value for the work that was done. CCA #20166 for $30,289.00 was for the revisions to shear walls. This is the final piece of a larger change that had already been passed through. CCA #30005 is for the unstable walls that were discovered in the last phase.

The current cost report shows the Owner’s Contingency at $119,000. All of these changes are included in that calculation. There is $4M still to put in place, and the project is 94% complete. All abatement work is finished. They may need additional contingency until the end of the project. The CM contingency is about $200,000. Mr. Lo said they are in the process of evaluating the project. The budget report sheet tracks against a $74M budget, but Brien McMahon is actually a $46.6M project, which is the net cost after State reimbursement. Mayor Moccia says they can’t afford to tell the public that the project needs more money, especially with another school feeling that it has been shortchanged.

** MR. KERSCHNER MOVED TO APPROVE THE ABOVE LISTED CHANGE ORDERS.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

3a. Review and approve a change order to West End Movers for additional moving services during the Phase 2 building moves for a total of $9,381.00.

Mr. Hawley said this is for additional moving services. The breakdown of the costs is in the backup material. Some smaller ticket items include disposal of garbage equipment and moving of graphic materials. There was a move manager is on site full time.

3b. Refer the following to Common Council for approval:

“Increase the contingency allowance for West End Movers (moving services at Brien McMahon) in the amount of $4,631.00, and authorize the NFCC to issue change orders on contract for a total not to exceed $4,631.00. Acct. #0902/03/04-5010-5777-C0237.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE A CHANGE ORDER TO WEST END MOVERS FOR ADDITIONAL MOVING SERVICES DURING THE PHASE 2 BUILDING MOVES FOR A TOTAL OF $9,381.00.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO REFER THE FOLLOWING TO COMMON COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL:

INCREASE THE CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE FOR WEST END MOVERS (MOVING SERVICES AT BRIEN MCMAHON) IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,631.00, AND AUTHORIZE THE NFCC TO ISSUE CHANGE ORDERS ON CONTRACT FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED $4,631.00. ACCT. #0902/03/04-5010-5777-C0237.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

B. Kendall Elementary School

1. Project update – by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Hawley said that Phase C is completed, and they moved in during February break. Phase D, which will be the new front entrance to the school and the main office, has been abated. Phase E is now being done. They will remove the windows, which contain asbestos, on second shift when school is closed. This renovation will take about three months. The last phase is Phase F, which includes the mechanical room and boiler downstairs. There is $213,000 remaining in the contingency for Kendall. This includes the case goods for Phase C and E. It is a $7.9M project, and they have $4.1M billed to date. The CM contingency is in good shape.

Mr. Hawley said Phase F will be challenging. It includes the kitchen area, and they will be putting in acoustic ceilings up above the plaster ceilings. Renovations include all the mechanicals. It is not a risk-free area. He said he is comfortable with the contingency and the work ahead of them. Silver Petrucelli has done a great job.

2. Review and approve the following change orders:

AL-025 $3,694.00 CM Contingency Additional labor and material required to tie in water
main due to incorrect depth
COR#048 $2,693.00 Increase GMP Provide tackboard material in lieu of homosote at
the C wing classrooms
COR#049 $2,429.00 Increase GMP Provide tackboard material in lieu of homosote at
the E wing classrooms

** MR. PACELLA MOVED TO APPROVE THE ABOVE LISTED CHANGE ORDERS.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

3. Review only, change orders approved by staff:

COR #050 $5,960.00 Increase GMP Provide pipe chases and enclosures on T&M basis
at the C wing classrooms and nurse area.

C. Norwalk High School

1. Project update – by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Hawley said the memo is attached that shows the activities of last month and this month. The abatement documents were issued, and they expect the bids by the end of the month. The final construction documents are halfway through the local review process. The State review process was out until late May, which was well beyond when the phases were scheduled to be completed. Mr. Ireland and Fire Marshal Iannaccone will do the local review, and they expect to be done within two weeks. The goal is to go out to bid for the entire project in early April. They most likely will be before the June meeting with the final results.

D. Roton Middle School

1. Project update – by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Hawley said the Roton bids were received on February 7. The bidding didn’t go favorably. Mr. Steve Rice from Skanska provided some information about the bidding process.

2. Review recommendations regarding bids received.

Mr. Rice said they were disappointed with the bid results. They didn’t have as much coverage as anticipated based on the previous bids for Tracey and Columbus. The bids were extremely inflated and not competitive. They had success with the bidding for Tracey and Columbus. The competitive bids they received fell in line with the estimates, and they were able to establish a GMP for those projects very easily because the bids fell between 3-5% of the actual estimate for the project. Their recommendation, which is outlined in the letter, is to have the project team take a step back, get the scope cleaner, and then go out to a bid in the fall. They could then be first on the list for 2007 and be finished during the summer. The original timeline was to start this spring and finish in the summer of 2007. The building is outdated, but there aren’t any items that need immediate attention. Mr.Gorian agreed with the new timeframe. It is basically just a renovation consisting of mechanical and electrical upgrades and window replacements. There won’t be any increase in square feet. The majority of the $6M renovation to the building has to take place during the summer. The end result of being completed in the summer of 2007 will remain the same. It wasn’t recommended that they go out to bid separately on different parts of the project. There weren’t any bids received on the HVAC portion of the project.

Mr. Opdahl arrived at 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Opdahl said the Board of Education doesn’t have authority on bidding. Once the specs are developed and it goes through the NFCC, it’s the NFCC that has the jurisdiction. Mr. Pacella asked if the reason why they didn’t get any HVAC bids was due to contractors being busy. Mr. Rice said yes, and that was the feedback they had received from the bidding community once they had done an analysis of the bids.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM SKANSKA TO PUSH THE PROJECT BACK.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Mr. Opdahl asked how the asbestos contractor worked out for Roton School. Mr. Hawley explained that SMAC, the first bidder backed out, and LVI is the second bidder. They were the low bidder on Tracey. They started last weekend. They finished on time, and they did the abatement over the February break.

E. Tracey Elementary School

1. Project update – by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Rice said they worked over the weekend to get the work done. The clearance sample was taken and passed on Monday. The electrician started work on Tuesday, and the school was ready on Friday morning. The work that was completed facilitates the beginning of second shift mechanical work by Skanska to begin in the summer so that it will be completed by September 1, 2006.

2. Review the reallocated budget for the Tracey School project, and refer the following to Common Council for approval:

“a. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an amendment to Skanska USA Building Inc. contract in the amount of $500,406 for additional phase work at the Tracey Elementary School Project for a total Guaranteed Maximum Price not-to-exceed $4,017,541. Acct #0904-5010-5777-B0311.

b. Increase the allowance for the Owner’s Contingency to $375,648.

c. Authorize the NFCC to issue change orders on the contract for a total not to exceed the Owner’s contingency allowance.”

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO REFER THE FOLLOWING TO COMMON COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL:

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, RICHARD A. MOCCIA, TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO SKANSKA USA BUILDING INC. CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $500,406 FOR ADDITIONAL PHASE WORK AT THE TRACEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT FOR A TOTAL GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE NOT-TO-EXCEED $4,017,541. ACCT #0904-5010-5777-B0311.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO INCREASE THE ALLOWANCE FOR THE OWNER’S CONTINGENCY TO $375,648.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE NFCC TO ISSUE CHANGE ORDERS ON THE CONTRACT FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED THE OWNER’S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

F. Columbus Elementary School

1. Project update – by John Hawley (Program Manager)

Mr. Hawley said the backup is included. Skanska will be submitting the final GMP documents for execution by the Mayor’s office before the end of the week. The abatement phase should start during the April break.

SOUTH NORWALK LIBRARY

A. Project update by John Hawley – Program Manager

Mr. Hawley said the project is due to be completed at the end of April. It could take approximately a month or so after that for the library staff to get the library up and running.

B. Construction Change Order (s):

1. Review and approve the following change orders:

PCO #47 $1,148.00 Increase GMP Additional repairs to front steps needed for sidewalk
placement.
PCO #48 $ 481.00 Increase GMP Lower manhole cover and replace utility hand hole at
Washington Street
PCO #49 $ 779.00 Increase GMP Added flashing at addition tie-ins due to field condition per sketch
PCO #50 $9,005.00 Increase GMP Revisions to sanitary sewer line per field conditions &
sketch SKC-01

Mr. Hawley said that PCO #50 is for the sanitary sewer line and the complications that were a result of the digging. They couldn’t tie into the original pipe. They were able to locate and tie into an old sanitary sewer that runs into a manhole in the Webster Street parking lot.

** MR. PACELLA MOVED TO APPROVE THE ABOVE LISTED CHANGE ORDERS.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

C. Review proposal from Schoenhardt Architects for additional services at the South Norwalk Library project and refer the following to Common Council for approval:

“Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an amendment to Schoenhardt Architects design services contract for South Norwalk Library to provide additional services during the construction administration phase for a total not-to-exceed $14,000. Acct. #0903/04/05-6210-5777-C0153.

Mr. Hawley said the architect for the project sent a letter to the city in November noting the changed conditions that were discovered during the demolition, which resulted in the change orders and the problems that they have been dealing with. They asked for $57,500 and a contract extension for the additional Construction Administration Services in support of the project, for both the design solutions and to keep their people involved through the end of the project. After an evaluation of the details, they came up with a compromised solution, in the city’s favor, of a recommended settlement of $14,000. The architect has a justification that there were no existing drawings to the original 1913 structure. The underpinnings and deteriorated foundations couldn’t have been detected. They felt that the architect owed more than the city did.

Mr. Pacella asked why the architect owed the city. Mr. Hawley said the architectural company mentioned in their RFP that they had expertise in historic buildings, and the nature of doing exposure and finding out undiscovered conditions to make sure the documents are complete. They sold themselves with the capability of handling that type of building. The agreement was reached amicably with Schoenhardt.

** MR. KERSCHNER MOVED TO REFER THE FOLLOWING TO COMMON COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL:

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, RICHARD A. MOCCIA, TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO SCHOENHARDT ARCHITECTS DESIGN SERVICES CONTRACT FOR SOUTH NORWALK LIBRARY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION PHASE FOR A TOTAL NOT-TO-EXCEED $14,000. ACCT. 30903/04/05-6210-5777-C0153.

** MOTION PASSED WITH ONE OPPOSITION (TOBIN).

NATHANIEL ELY CENTER

A. Project update: By John Hawley – Program Manager

Mr. Hawley said the application for the additional funding for the CHEFA financing grant has been made. They should have a response within a week or two. If the grant isn’t available, they will go back to the drawing board. Of the additional $1M being requested, $900,000 would come from State financing, and $100,000 would be the city’s share, which would come out of the CDBG grant. Mayor Moccia said he made it clear to NEON that if they don’t get money, they will have to develop Plan A, B, or C. The city won’t be able to come up with $1M. They will have to scale the project back. $3.8 is the original total project budget.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mr. Pacella asked for an update of the fire station plans. Mayor Moccia said that the Planning Commission didn’t recommend the $1.7M for demolition. Mr. Hamilton has come up with some favorable numbers for financing. It appears that they might only have to bond for $1M.

The old police station has the heat, utilities and gas completely shut off. The electricity is on to maintain some lights for security, and the fire alarms.

** MR. KERSCHNER MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn Marr
Telesco Secretarial Services

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