Good afternoon everyone. Today is September 12th and it's the elementary school building committee. The first thing I need to do since we're conducting this virtually is make sure all the members of the committee can hear and we can hear them. So, I'll just
call out your names as I see them on the screen and if if and when others join us, I will do the same to make sure we can hear them. Um, Michael Gallo, >> I can hear you. >> Uh, Jennifer,
>> hey there. >> Hi, Tammy. >> Here. Thank you. >> Great. Jonathan, >> good morning or afternoon. Paul >> present. >> Simone >> here.
>> Deb, I'll come back to Deb. Angelica >> here. >> And Alicia >> here. >> Okay. Um, what I want to do, um, uh, because you can put the agenda up, although it's a pretty simple agenda.
It's a construction up update, FFN update, and a focus on the playground. What we've learned since the last time and what we want to do moving forward. And a few people have told me they have a limited time here today. So, unless
anyone objects, I'd like to start with the playground surface discussion and then go to the construction update FF and E and invoices. Um hopefully we'll continue when we get to invoices we'll continue to have a quorum. Is that all
right for for everyone in the committee to just reverse the agenda? Uh anyone can >> Okay. Thumbs up. Great. Great. So that is that is the plan then. So I am not uh
we have two Tim Cookers but I recognize Donna. So hi Donna. That's right. I can't I I can't rename myself. Oh, no I can. >> Way up in the way up in the >> Nice to see you. >> No, that's fine. Um, so what I think
what we'll do is have Margaret lead off the this discussion based on the memo she sent everyone which was also um she met with the DNA team and she's also been doing some of the back. Yes. >> Yeah. Was that the first thing on the
agenda? No, I I I just asked if it's okay for everyone to reverse the order. Margaret, >> the order. Got it. >> Because of the order. So, at least one person has said they only have an hour. So, I didn't want to run out of time on that item um to make sure we we covered
it. So, yes, it's the third item on the agenda. You are completely correct. It's not the first. Um >> so, if if that's okay with you, Margaret, I I didn't objection. So Margaret has been doing both background phone calls and discussions with people
including suppliers but she's also met with the Danesco team and with Bob Parent and Bob on behalf of the our committee but also the town since Disco is not including the Disco team has not
included quen in their scope of work. Bob has been our person uh doing further explorations of quark keen and with the can we get it to the point that we at least know um whether we have suppliers. So then I'll have Bob do a report on
those conversations and where they are at this point. Um so Margaret, you first. >> I see Deb has her hand up. >> Oh de um you know I called on you but I I didn't hear your your response. Are you there and able to hear us? hear me,
Kathy? >> Yes, I can hear you now. Yeah. >> Okay, great. Um I point of order. I just wonder if we're going to do a vote on the playground if it makes sense to do um if we're scrambling the agenda if it makes sense to do public comment first. It doesn't make sense to have public
comment after we've already voted. >> Um Deb, we have always done public comments in hand and I'm not prepared to move them. Oh, >> okay. And in terms of vote, I think we're we're talking about the next step forward. So whether we reach a
conclusion on what surfaced today or not, I'm not pressing for that. I want to hear hear what we know at this point. And we but we we've got still got some time. Okay. So everyone knows the time. And one person who's not with us, Bruce
called him has made some phone calls and he asked if he doesn't had and he got more material but he hasn't had time to review it. So in any case, I'll report on that after we hear from Margaret and then Bob. Margaret. >> Yeah. And my report here is very brief
and it's summarized in the memo. So I'm not going to spend a lot of time uh presenting on this. Um, and I also want to recognize that Bob has done the majority of the leg work here. So, um, I think we should have Bob chime in after
I speak. But, you know, we've continued to research Keen. Um, it's been a challenge. Um, the um, installers that have been offered have changed multiple times. I have kind of lost count on how many installers
have been offered by Amarim and changed. I think the Amarim people are, you know, very enthusiastic about the American market, but they do not seem to have their act together at all, particularly for public construction. They don't understand what's required for public
construction. So, you know, we continue to see issues with finding an installer. Um, we've got some new ones as of last week. Um there was the situation um in East uh which we're very hopeful about and
the pro the installation failed pretty miserably. They're in the process of correcting that. Um so I think there are still a lot of flags on the issue in short. Bob, do you want to add anything to that?
>> Certainly. if you'd like, Kathy, if you'd like me to to pick things up at this point. Um, and >> let me just say a couple words about uh we did also did some background work, but then I'm turning it over to Bob. I want to know that people to know that we did some work to say what else is out
there because we were down to engineered wood fiber uh board and place rubber with a um partial hybrid ver cork and then some other things have been suggested such as a bonded engineered
work fiber. So I did some work and then Margaret made some phone calls and the companies that did provide that have discontinued it because the bonding that they put on top of it but hardened to the extent that it was no longer resilient. And I got in touch with the
people who wrote the original lol report that referenced this and asked them you know exactly do they know suppliers? Do they know anyone? and they named one of the companies that we had found and so I let them know they're not doing it anymore because we talked directly to
that company. So that as far as we know is not an option. That's why it's not listed in the memo that Margaret prepared on what kind of choices we're facing. So I just want to know that there's been a a fair amount of calling around trying to find out what
alternatives we have. And Bruce's email that came in this morning to me was he's talked to a landscape architecture firm who has some other kinds of substance and sent him a bunch of information, but Bruce is driving a car and has not read
any of it. So, so that that's what he know. It's something that installs on top of EWF to make it more longlasting, but we don't know yet what if anything that might be. So, I just want to report on where that is as of September 20th.
And I forwarded that to Tim this morning and got a DNA doesn't they're not aware of what this might be. So, Bruce wasn't saying he knows of something. He was just saying he's got a bunch of references. So, Bob, you're on for court.
>> Certainly. So what I'd like to do is try to bring the building committee up to date in terms of discussions I've had um and put those discussions sort of in context relative to core keen. So to first I think to understand
this process and evaluation folks should understand that there is a material supplier which is Amaran and there are material installers and in some cases there may be distributors of the material. The
material supplier is Amaran. Uh they're an international company. uh they pioneered this uh this application of their cork product. They sell all different types of cork product. They are the party that sells the product and
they will warranty the product but not the installation and the installation nor will they hold a contract with the town. They will have a supplier uh purchaser relationship with the installer, but they will have no direct
uh contractual relationship with the town. The installer is the party that will have the contractual relationship with the town and ultimately the obligations legally with the town. So, over the past month since our last
meeting, I finally have gotten some responses to two potential installers of the product. One of them I had mentioned previously, I think, maybe not the name of them, but I had been speaking with a gentleman named Mike Blue. And Blue is a
Milwaukee, Wisconsinbased firm. They are in the servicing and playground business. They install their playgrounds under the excuse under stall their surfacing under the name Meek Meak
surfacing. Um, and Mike did respond to me about a week, week and a half ago with the information that I ultimately have been looking for, and that was budget pricing for an installed system and a confirmation that they would be able to live up to all of the town's
contractual terms and provide the performance warranty and the I mean performance bond and the payment bond that would be required for the project. Mike confirmed that and confirmed that the work could be done within the budget that we we have in place. Um I then
actually Mike was the most interesting person I spoke with because he has experience as a hands-on installer with both rubber poured inplace surfacing as well as the cork product. and he was the gentleman that made a point that the
product is a fussier product to install than the rubber product that he has much more experience installing and he was the one that had raised the concerns regarding temperature and timing of the installation. So I I felt he was a very credible individual to get information
from given that he has firsthand experience working with both products. Um, but he can deliver the product to Amherst uh for a price that's within the budget and would be willing to sign a contract with the town to do so. Um,
more recently, I did finally receive an affirmation from a company called Cork and More Distributors. Um I started discussing this project with them back in February and at that point they were just what their name suggests is which
is distributors of product. They were not the installers. They have now um have the ability from what they've told me to enter into a contract with the town for the installation and they have access to crews that are certified by
Amarind to conduct the installation. So they would be willing to enter into a contract and and bid for the installation. Um so it does appear that we and they are a Dallas, Texas-based firm. So we do it does appear that we have two firms that have the
capabilities that have the access to certified trained crews uh from what they tell us um that could do the work within the project budget. Um, the warranty piece of it is a little more interesting because one of the the the responses I got recently from the
Cork and More distributor was that they the product would be warrantied for 5 years, which is the Cork product itself by Amaran, but the installation would only be warrantied for 1 year. That's different than the typical warranty
requirements that are used for uh rubber poured inplace material. uh where the requirements are typically to warranty the materials and the workmanship for 5 years, the complete product, not just the manufacturer warrantying the
material and another party warranting the installation for a shorter period of time. Um so that's, you know, that's what I have to add. As I said, there's there there are two people out there that appear willing to respond to something if and when we put it on the
street. Um with again an understanding that at least one of those parties would only be willing to warranty it for a year, at least warranty the installation. And and as we've learned from the um Eastston experience, that most likely was an
installation problem. So getting a 5-year warranty on the installation I would think is particularly important. >> So I'm opening up for comments, questions, um anything of uh
Go ahead, Mike. And I'll just call this the hands go up. I'll call on you. >> Thank you. Um, so Bob, the one-year warranty that was from the Texas company. Did the warranty from the uh Wisconsin company offered?
>> That's a little bit fuzzier. They had promised to give me an updated warranty language, and I haven't yet received that. They they didn't appear to object to the 5-year for the whole product. And and when I had verbal discussions with Mike Blumel, he said, "Yeah, that's standard. We warranty what we do for 5
years." But I haven't yet seen anything in writing from them. And you know the reality right now this is just conversation. You know what really matters is when we procure this material when we execute a contract uh what we're able to ultimately get written into that contract.
>> Yeah. Um and do you know if they their um contractor if it will be somebody local or will be are they will be based in Wisconsin. So if we do have to have a fix that's going to require them coming out from Wisconsin.
>> Yeah. We're not aware of there being any local crews that um perform this work. Where those crews are based, whether they're based in Dallas or based in Wisconsin, I think again in the case of Mike Blume Mls, who uh has been doing this type of work for
years, uh first in in Poron Place and now in the Corken product. I would imagine those are based in Wisconsin. With the case of Cork and Moore, I'm not quite as sure because when I first having the discussion with the gentleman, Jacob Robinson back,
Robertson back in February, um he wasn't even certain where his company fit into this process and who would actually execute the contract. So it seems like again that that Amaran
trains and certifies crews and labor and somehow those are made available to installers, but I don't know where that labor is physically based other than I don't believe it's local. >> Okay. And one last question. Um do we know how many installations um Mike
Blumel has overseen? >> I don't. I know when I spoke with him he said that this would be one of the larger if not the largest installation uh that that he has installed. We're just under 14,000 square ft 13,490
square ft. Um so it would be a maybe not a stretch for him but certainly something bigger than what he has done in the past. >> Okay. And I did ask Ammer when I we started the discussion with the president of Amaran several months ago, Bob Bob Formlo, I specifically said, can
you provide me with an installation list? And I've yet to receive that information. Uh because I think that's a very good question. Where, how big, you know, try to get some idea of yes, we have lots of experience, but what does what does that really mean within the USA? I I honestly don't know at this
moment. >> Yeah. installations in Wisconsin would make me feel better comparing that to us rather than Texas. But yeah, >> kidding. >> Yes, same here, Mike. >> So, I just want to I see that Allison
has joined us. Allison, I just want to make sure you can hear us and we can hear you and thanks for joining. >> I can't. I um I'm very temporarily here, but I wanted to try. >> Yeah, we we flipped the agenda so we're focused on the playground first. Um, I
knew you were going to be short on time, Tammy. >> So, I have several concerns. One being, um, if we do end up going with Corken, how fast would a the company be able to come and fix the the product? And I'm
also worried about the longevity of it, including long-term accessibility, especially if they're only offering a fiveyear warranty on something that's going to be 50 plus years. Uh
and I am also concerned that it's really only two um businesses or installers because I wonder about their own longevity and if in fact after so many years they will stop to exist and I don't know so I don't know if I need you
to say anything but just these are some of my concerns that have bubbled up >> you know can I Tammy can I respond to the longevity thing? So there's no playground material that lasts the length of the life of the building. So
um but the question I think you're asking is does it have greater longevity than the port and place rubber? And I don't we don't know that yet. But it we wouldn't be expecting that. I would not be expecting that it would last more
than 15 or 20 years in general. And and port and place rubber itself you've probably seen on playgrounds. The real issue is that you it's the wear is not even right. I mean the classic and Bob I think has showed you pictures before you know when you have something where the
kids are running around in a circle or on a swing the stuff does degrade right. But the the the question about duration is one we are also still trying to answer. >> I think Tammy Tam I might not have heard you right. I think she was also worried
about the longevity of the installers. you know, we they're they're they're new to doing this. And I guess Bob, did I hear you right? We don't have a list of places that either of them have installed playgrounds in. Um, you know,
one email we had suggested there are some CE playgrounds in Delaware, but I um I also I emailed one of them and haven't had a response yet, but pl places where they are in and whether any of them have been in for at least more
than one year, let alone five years. Is that correct? We just don't have a list yet. >> I don't have a list yet. And I do believe that it's re it's at best probably singledigit years. you know, this is a new product. We we know this is a new product to the US.
So, I'd be surprised to see that at at best it was any more than a couple of years. >> Um, any other questions? Because I have a couple. Um, and I think one only. Let me see whether Paul is still with us.
Yeah. So, one is about financing. Any other questions? >> Deb. >> Hi. Uh, questions >> or comments? Any, you know, questions. comments. Yeah. >> Questions in general or about this particular topic
>> right now focus on cork. >> Okay. About cine. So my question and as you know I I joined the committee at the beginning of this year is what about this conversation is new?
because I don't know. I think I was in on the original vote like for my first meeting, >> but it seems like this is besides the the one um east
>> issue, >> this is this is things that have been discussed already. I'll tell you what's new is we when we voted on cork, we knew it was risky. We
thought there was an installation in Philadelphia that had cork all the way down. We discovered that wasn't true underneath. It was just cork on top that it didn't want to fall. The company had said they were expanding and we thought there
would be more places that we would have. And the brand new information is someone was willing to be the experiment and the installer didn't do it right and it turned out who the installer is and the level of training and their expertise
mattered a lot or you get a failure. Um I think the other thing Bob found in Easton is the warranty issue. Um, and you can speak to this, Bob. This is just Bob told me this, but it's they were wrapped around a larger contract with us being the subcontract and that's that
larger contract had the power to make them come back and fix it. Um, so there was uh an over and this we'd be just contracting with the installer. So at this point we have concerns about
the level of experience of the installers and the level of warranty and bonding they would give us. So that is all new information we did not have when we thought we had found the dream solution. It was, you know, it was not
toxic and we knew it had been done in in Scandinavia, but it was going to be new to the US and new to a climate like New England, which is quite different. So, this is this is what's new. And so, what we're raising is is a very expensive
investment in the town. And do we want to take that risk or we do we want to do something that's much less expensive which is engineered wood fiber and potentially wait for a couple years and that's what I wanted to ask Paul about can we reserve money to say if cork
turns out to have a lot of experience and the experience is positive then we could come back and install it. So that is that's a question I'll I'll ask after we do this. But the newness is and then Bob reported at the last committee that some of the installers admitted they'd
had failures. We had no information about failures before. None. Zero. No information. So we were going on literally a report from LOL that this existed and we found the company in the US. That was it.
>> Okay. So my my question was in the context of I I did have a conversation with someone in Amarim as well as the Cork and Moore folks and they gave me the the location not the locations they said that there
have been other installations one in and this is just you know I don't have specifics but >> it just feels like we're making generalizing as I said last month from a data point of one
with the feeling like there aren't any other existence proof. >> Did they give you a list of names and did you call them? >> I just had a very >> No. So that's what that's what we're looking for. Bob has been asking for it. So I think that's the further explan explanation.
>> I can do that. I sent you that information and um they they just they said Rhode Island, they said Delaware, they said eastern and western Pennsylvania, they said New Jersey. I can follow up if that's important. And
whether or not other people have tried and been unsuccessful, I don't know. But um it just I'm just putting pieces together and I don't understand the entire process. making this decision and then
>> thinking about not making it or or changing direction and >> getting some information and get me getting conflicting information. I'm just trying to understand the whole thing. >> Sure. And there two more hands up, but you know, we're not at the end of trying
to get this information. So Bob is Bob is they seem eager to want a contract from us. that they ought to be eager to provide us the name so that we can do background checks on them, which we wouldn't have to do with others, but we we do need to do some background checks.
So, we're not at the end of of this discussion. So, Elicia and Angelica. Um, thank you, Kathy. I'm really interested in in the information that Deborah just brought forward and to learn more sort of about those
installations. But my question was about something that Margaret may have said earlier in terms of a failed installation that they're working to fix. Um, and I wonder if you can explain what exactly that means. So, they're not going to remove it. They're going to fix it and keep the cork. Is that what that
means? And what does fixing it mean? >> So, um, I have seen this installation, but Bob is the one who's talked to folks there. So, again, I'm gonna reference Bob. So the the inst we heard this was
the installation we heard about uh two year and a half ago. It was it happened last spring I believe Bob they did it at like in April or May and then I we I went back a few months later and the the
cork had worn really badly in the hightra areas and cracked in multiple locations. So Bob do you want to add anything because I think you talked the installer, the town. >> Yeah, the installation in East started
actually it was over a year ago is my understanding and it began to fail relatively quickly. Um there was, as Margaret indicated, there was cracking, there was surface delamination. It was really the focus of the presentation I
made at the last meeting, the memorandum that I put together for the last meeting. it. My understanding from talking with the facility director in Easton who's been you know kneedeep in this project and and actively involved in it is it took a year of discussions
with the product manufacturer with Amaran and with the installer who was a subcontractor to the general contractor. The installer um somewhat ironically was I believe a firm named No Fault
Installation. Um and ultimately they came to an agreement uh that led to them beginning the repair work about a month month and a half ago. Now what that repair work was in some locations was completely removing the material in
other locations where there was delamination happening where there's a base material that's installed that's a a larger uh size cork material and then the surface material that's a much smaller material. and tighter material.
The surface material was starting to delaminate. So they removed the surface material and replaced that in some locations. Uh so in some cases it was a complete replacement. In other cases it was strip the top layer off and put a new top layer in over what was there.
Literally actually sanding down uh material in places then then putting a a new surface over the top of that. >> Alicia did that and and we have pictures. I think we put them in the packet last of that combination of total replacement
and fixing the delamination. >> Yeah, I think that that was helpful. But I think that sort of what I'm trying to get to is do they think this sort of fixing the top material and relamination solves the issue or do they foresee that they will have to continue to do those
things? >> Keep coming Bob. Yeah, you're the one who had the conversation, too. >> Having talked with the designer, the landscape architect that was responsible for this project, they are hopeful that this will correct the problem. Um, but they don't know, but they're hopeful
that it will. And I would, again, speaking with the facility director, um, he's hopeful as well. He is more optimistic because the staff that performed the corrective work and new work because a portion of the of the
playground work was completely new um were clearly trained onsite by an Amaran representative brought in from Europe um that actually the facility director sat in on the training as well to understand the process. So everyone is optimistic
that what they've done will be more successful than the last attempt. Um, again, I think as as Margaret indicated before, none of us really have a good sense of what the longevity of even a well correctly installed surface might
be. >> Angelica, >> thanks Kathy and uh just to say thank you for um all the materials. I think this has been really helpful to get that additional information and to keep the conversation going on something so challenging. I think my question is u um
it it's are we narrowing it down in the discussion between cork and to as a choice cork and engineered wood fiber. Is that where we're at at this point? Um I mean I understand that porn and place rubber has is has gotten serious um
environmental implications and I completely agree with that. I also think that engineered wood fiber has serious um accessibility issues and so I'm eager to see um a report that also highlights as an important determining factor the accessibility of these various things.
It seems to me from everything that installation problems exist in all materials. The minute that engineered wood fiber is laid out, it already is getting um waves and undulations and there's just never it's almost like uh only at the moment of installation does
it have a perfect surface area. Uh poured in place rubber as many folks who play on the playground know um you can go right now to Grath Park and find the little pieces that children can put in their mouths. I mean that is the fact of and and then cork also has. So I'm
trying to evaluate and figure out what is the best criteria by which to evaluate it and if we can um also discuss sort of what what criteria it is. I know that installation issues exist with cork but it seems like there's installation problems with all
of them. Um, so are we narrowing it down or are we still open to also thinking about alternative alternatives that there might be out there uh besides this? I know a cork was our alternatives. So I'm I I don't know if there are others. I hate to ask but you
had mentioned that last time in your travels that you had come across maybe some other possibilities. Uh so that's a great question and um at this point I mean I had you know as you know I am just I have
Jonathan but I'll just quickly say that I am not a landscape architecture. I have never installed a playground. So what I do is walk around and look at them. And I had seen um in my travels, as you mentioned, these very thick, you know, like 4 in thick uh rubber tiles
that were placed over what looked to me placed over engineered wood fiber underneath them. So, they were quite resilient. So, it wasn't just them. And they had these tiny little things that connected them. So, they weren't interlacing. I have no idea whether that
exists. And my understanding, and Daniscoco can speak to this, um there have not been good experiences with those and the actual rubber that those tiles are made of may have some of the characteristics that we're worried
about. But as I said, this was me seeing that it was something that covered and in some places they were used as walkways. And the one I saw was under a seessaw, you know, so that you when it would go up or down, you bounced. You didn't thud in the dirt. So it was
really it didn't throw kids off. Um so and I saw it in a couple playgrounds. So that was where Bruce started an exploration with a landscape. Is there something that could cover the EWF that would make and that was the out can we have bonded EWF that was unitary on top
and would last longer? Is there something that can cover it? And to right now as of today we I don't have a yes there's something like that. So I think we are down to these two choices. If we do not want to go back to the
conservation commission for a hybrid solution on PIP, if we're taking that off the table, then these are our two choices. And I just would say that because engine word word fiber is a lot less expensive, we could put it in and
then wait a year or two and come back with cork. So, one of the things I wanted to know from the town managers, could we bank the extra money? So, right now, this is all part of taxpayer dollars. You know, we're not it won't be part of a school budget. So, I don't
know the answer to that. So, that that's my answer. And then Tim and others can weigh in on to what extent we know of anything else than these options. You know, what are our choices? And I see Jonathan's hand is up and then I'll have Daniscoco and or Margaret. Anyone join
in. Jonathan. I I I do have a couple things I'd like to kind of comment on. Um but I'm curious about hearing Paul's answer to your question about whether or not there would be a way to um
wait to see if Corkin has the legs uh as it were as a product um and whether or not there's a pathway here. Um before I before I I make my other comments can you hear me Kathy? >> Yeah.
>> Okay. >> So yeah so my perspective is strictly um liability risk assessment and financial um I don't I'm not a wed to any particular product you know whoever's you know comes up with an idea of product if it's works on those levels I
you know I'd be supportive of. Um, it has to meet our our requirements for health and safety and for ADA accessibility. Um, you know, I think I, you know, I just heard about the um the idea of banking funds in the p this morning. What I had been thinking about
was um getting a um a a a locked in warranty with a bond that protects the town. My goal is to protect the town's investment. If we buy something, whoever installs it and gets a big contract from the town, they should be willing to stand by it and then have funds
available that we don't have to go to court to access so we would be able to trigger the bond. That's what I want. I don't want to be in a litigation between the supplier versus the installer. Um, that's just a mess. Um, in terms of, you know, the other option is to say, well,
we're we're willing to take the risk and but we're going to bank some money in anticipation of or or maybe not take the risk, do an interim um uh installation and have a a separate sum of money set
aside under our current bonding, I mean, borrowing uh to complete the pro project. I'd have to look more into our contract with MSBA and with our with um uh what we would be allowed to do under our um with our bond council, but that's
certainly an intriguing idea as well. So, I I think what we're if we're looking for financial security, we can either require it from a third party or we can bank it ourselves basically is what the answer is would be options. I can I just ask for the bonding you're
contracting you're procuring it and they've put up the money that so is that if it failed they have to come back and fix it or they have to give you back the money because it failed. I mean how does that work? you would want to be able to hold. I mean, Bob would know this better or
Jonathan would as well, but with a bond, you hold the bond and they pay for the bond and then if you if they if the product fails, you pull the bond and you use those funds to fix it. >> So, Jonathan, did that answer, you know, so your hand is up and I know you read.
>> Yes. Yes. So, that that just gives me a little bit of context to what I'm about to say. Um I I'm certainly supportive of spending a little bit more time to come to a uh consensus conclusion. Uh
to me there are are um multiple critical important things that have to come out of the ultimate decision. And I'm I realize there are many people are going to be frustrated that we are looking at this issue again. But I'm going to start with the notion that the reason we're
looking at this again is because we're using a product that is new to the market, that is not the industry standard, that our design team um has not had experience with and feels uncomfortable enough with the risk that
we have separated it out from their their work. That said, I think that if we can get the core keen to be to get a bond um and to get safety and protection financially for the town, then the core
keen does meet uh several of the critical things we needed to meet. Um, if we can get this all settled between now and when the school opens, we get a fully accessible um, surface uh, that is
comparable to what we would get with the product that actually is the industry standard, which is the PIP. Um, and there's a reason why that's the industry standard. It's been around a long time. Um, I'm uncomfortable with the engineered wood fiber because I'm uncomfortable with whether or not we're
truly reaching the accessibility standards that I think we need to meet. Um, with a brand new school in particular, we don't have, unless I'm missing one somewhere, we don't have an elementary
school in town that has a fully accessible, you know, past the first weeks of raking this the the the stuff out surface that folks can use. We do have a couple. We have the one in whichever park that is, I can't remember it now. Um, kind of towards the north
end of town, which happens to be a PIP surface. then yes it is wearing all surfaces are going to wear. Um but I think it's to me it's very important that if we can get a accessible surface installed by the
time the school opens. Um I I will be personally embarrassed if we can't. Um that said, uh if for some reason our only you know our hands are tied and and you know we're not allowed to use another material that could be installed
in that time, I guess I would I would default to pushing the decision further down the road and see if if over time we could get this surface to work. So those are those are my comments. >> Um I saw Angelica's hand went up and then you Deb. Um just a quick comment
you're saying about um trying to figure out if we have a little bit of time what other alternatives might um be out there and I thought um making a plug for reaching out to colleagues at UMass Amhurst. They have the a fine department of landscape architecture. There's also the program on building construction and
technology. It's a program called BCT and I see constantly um lectures that they're doing on on cutting edge lectures on sustainable materials. Um the building Oliver Design Building is one of our price buildings at UMass in terms of the sustainability all made out
of wood. So it would be colleagues there and contacts there that would probably know what probably is the cutting edge materials that might be available. >> Deb and then Margaret. >> Yeah. Hi. Um, so I like the idea of
having some funds being held back either for repair or replacement. Um, but since it seems to me like Corkin is the one product that checks all the boxes or the only product that we have,
it would make more sense to do that as an install. And if that failed, then we would go back to the drawing board with um some less expensive options. Um I just you know I
look at this from sort of an optics point of view because I am you know um an elected official and I am responsible to to my constituents. it it the the the not that this is intentional and and and thank you
Jonathan for saying that this is why we're scrutinizing this so carefully but I'm very uncomfortable with a bait and switch which I'm not saying it is I'm saying it can be construed as so that's
a that's a hard part for me but also nobody wants to be the school district that puts in a $100 million building with a playground service that nobody can use.
But I think it makes the most sense to me to put in the more expensive one that is within our budget and has been budgeted for with the anticipation that we that we expect it to be successful because it
does meet the needs of the majority of students. It meets the guidance of our local boards, the conservation committee and public health. And if we have to change direction,
at least we've given it the best shot to check to to to meet all of those um issues. Thank you, >> Margaret. You had your hand up. Oh, and I see Allison also. So,
>> Allison and then Margaret. >> I want to echo what Deborah said. Um, I think that we knew that this was an environmentally sensitive area. When we took on the project, we thought that the monies that might be needed to
accommodate for the water table and the construction of the building, that's where the expense would come. I don't think we ever considered that the environmentally sensitive nature of the Fort River site would imply would implicate the playground surfacing, but now it is. And we knew that this site
would require possibly some extra funding in order to take care of the environment. So, um, if we can get the experts on board that we need to, um, we we're being told by our board of health that we need we cannot risk the the, um,
environmental health of our community. There we are. And, and I'm letting you know, if we were not the home of the intensive learning center, this would maybe be a different discussion, but we are. And I currently have four children in wheelchairs. Um, I don't I'm not
familiar with the children at other schools, but this is a very real accessibility need and um I've done the best I can to find evidence of what engineered wood fiber that's bonded looks like. I can't find it. And I know
that I see plenty of examples of engineered wood fiber on videos online that show how hard it is to move the wheelchair through it. It takes three times more effort and time to get across a playground on engineered wood fiber than it does if it's poured in place or
some type of flat surface. So, I just I don't want us to think that because I've heard this argument that wood chips is not engineered wood fiber. Okay? But I I just any surface that can move and it makes it harder for the wheels to move is going to be harder for a child who's
five years old to move their wheelchair. It's just a fact. And I have five-year-olds with wheelchairs and they are getting strength and they're getting stronger and they're able to move in their own with this and how and this is how we make them stronger by be creating
a playground that they can access fully as opposed to sitting on the edge which they do now watching their friends play. So I I don't like the idea that engineered wood fiber is an option. Um I appreciate Kathy saying, "Oh, maybe we put it in for a few years and then put
something else Okay, I guess why don't we put port in place in for 20 years and then we put in something that's engineer that's more environmentally friendly. That's another option. But I'm I understand I'm respecting the board of health. I'm not saying that we should go against their
their um their recommendations. But I do think that given what the town is saying, we have to take Queen seriously and put in place the expertise necessary to mitigate risks and be ready with um repairs and things like that. Well, that will happen because we want to have um
this option at this time because we're not waiting five years to build this building when other schools have this option that we can analyze. We're we're going to be the test case. So, let's see how we can do this. That's my opinion right now. >> Margaret, your hand was up, but I think
it's also that you can't necessarily stay with us for that long. So, okay. So, Margaret may need to leave us just so everyone knows. It's not because she doesn't want to be part of the conversation. So, >> and I need to I need to report on something else on a different item on
the agenda before I go. So, >> okay. So, um let me make an attempt to summarize what I think I heard. So, if Bob and the procurement team can get a contract that has the bond that Paul
described and has five years on labor as well as uh from the the company on the product, so we're protected um that they would have to come back and what what did Alicia say? Fix and repair. you know, they would have to honor the
installation. If he can get all the way there. Um, I'm um I don't we don't have that yet. So, what I'd like to say is that we come back to this I think we have time and it to our October meeting
and have Bob come back to us with uh more description of where has this been done anywhere other than the um ones we know in Texas. a few more examples. And will one of these two installers, and I
believe they're planning on driving trucks with the product and their people to the site, but would they will they be there? And and and Tammy's question was, if it fails, are they going to be there within a week rather than a year later? I mean, a year later is a long time to
wait if if the surface is failing. So, is to what extent are they going to honor the installation? So Bob, if is that a good place to stop right now and say, you know, Cork Keen is we're still putting it on the list uh viable and um
I I think the town can't really contract for something that's this expensive without those guarantees and warranties about the product. I would we be crazy. We're not going to have this money again. So we need to at least know that they'll come back and fix it if we move
forward on this. And if they're eager to, it's a big company, they should be able to give us that kind of bond. Does that does that make everyone feel comfortable as long as we have the time? And I think that means we're not going back to concom with the hybrid w with
port and place rubber to say, can we address their concerns with PIP? Bob, >> so I think we're mixing apples and oranges a little bit. Uh to be clear again, the big company Amaran, all they do is sell product. They've made it 100%
clear that they will not warranty anything but the product. They will not warranty the installation. So, it's a mixture of those two things. And that's where the where the challenge comes in here. It's the installer that we would be looking to provide an extended
performance bond. Um and these installers are probably they're not big companies. So, uh, it's we'll ask the question. Um, the real answer we might not get until we actually put this job out on the street and they're willing to commit,
you know, you know, with with, you know, a real bid and a real commitment and a real contract behind this. But we'll ask the question and see if see what their response is. I'll also the installation list will come ideally from Amaran, from the big company. And the reality is they
should be able to provide that installation uh list pretty quickly. I'll look for not only where, but who's the owner, when was it installed, who was the installer, all the important information to know about not just we did something here, we did something
there, but details that we can dig into in order to to really vet the u the appropriateness of the information we're getting. So, I'll reach out to these two installers and we'll see what they have to say relative to their willingness to
go beyond the one-year um and provide a financial assurance mechanism that um that protects the town. >> I see Paul's hand is up um and Margaret Margaret does have something to report. So, maybe I'll sandwich her in before I
get everybody's thanks. Paul. >> Yeah. Very quickly, just to build on what Michael said, I really think it's important for us to see some evidence of an installation that's happened in the northern climate that's survived at least one year, preferably 5 years with, you know, I think if we don't have
evidence of an actual thing, we're really buying we're buying an experiment. >> Okay. But but are people okay with just split? Margaret wanted to do a report on furniture and equipment. Um, is that what you were going to report on, Margaret?
Yes. I I don't want to. I need to. >> She needs to. So, can can we take a pose and then we'll come back to this and uh Okay, >> I apologize. I I do have to join another call at 1:30. So, I wanted to give a
very brief update on furniture, fixtures, and equipment. You're going to hear this term FFN a lot. Um those of you were who were on committee back when we est feasibility when we established the budget will remember
that there are two line items in the budget for furniture and equipment one light on end and one line item for technology. So we are at the moment we are where we actually need to start procuring those materials um for the
installation and the project in the next summer. And so we've gone back, the design team and their consultants. So there's a furniture consultant and there's a technology consultant. They're both very good. Um have gone back and looked at the at the those budgets. Um
what we can see is that the we're right on target for the technology budget. the furniture estimate is higher than it was before and we think there's a couple of strategies to bring it back in closer
alignment with the original budget. So, um, I've been in touch with Tammy and Allison and Tanya McIntyre, who is part of the superintendent team, and the three of them are um sort of formed into
a a small group to review with the furniture folks in Daniscoco next week where we stand to sort of bring that back into alignment. But this is mostly a heads up that in October we'll be g
bringing you a more detailed update on that because at that point time of the October meeting we're we need to authorize the design team to move ahead with setting the procurement um in play well in to just to launch it
and that will be working also with Simone and Bob. Um, so it's there's quite a team, but that October date is coming at us pretty quickly. And so I didn't want to come to the meet to the committee in October without giving you
a heads up that this is kind of in the oncoming lane in October. Donna, do you want to add anything to that? >> Um, no. Oh, I think I think that the uh furniture and fixture
industry has really seen a significant increase in costs um year over year. We, you know, construction sort of went like that and now it's leveled off and maybe even come down a little bit. Um we haven't been able to secure pricing
through the state bid list or MHC. uh vendors are have not released 2026 pricing because of probably we don't know um you maybe could assume tariffs or other things but they have not
released 2026 pricing. So so we're just we need to go out to bid. we don't have a choice. But now it's just going to be a matter of balancing um all of the needs and then having a plan if we need to reduce costs.
>> Well, I think that this was put on just to raise everyone's awareness and some people are >> kneedeep in the awareness and the rest of us are peripheral. >> Right. That's so that's kind of the update. Well, there'll be a lot more information for the October meeting. So,
>> and so and everyone knows I I think I put it on the agenda, but it's should be a hold. It's the 17th is when we're meeting in October. So, I'm coming back now. I think it was uh definitely Deb and Angelica both had their hands up and I think it was
Angelica first then Deb. >> Thanks, Kathy. So um as I was asking about criteria so we can engage in you know decision- making on this issue. It seems like the financial criteria has also emerged. So I'd like to ask if we can have along with the reports on you
know the the the follow-up questions on on quen and installation if we can also have some financial updates like for instance um if we were not to get a um guarantee of these repairs how much would repairs cost? I'd like to know that. I'd also like to know if there are
any surpluses in the project where those surpluses that are allocated or and if they can be used to cover those repairs. That is can we potentially use any surpluses available to cover that. Um I ask these questions because it's not like we're not engaging in experiments all the time in this town. Um my
neighborhood here in Heatherstone is one of those. We have those roundabouts that now are not going to work and now it's going to cost like $10 to $30,000 a pop to remove. They're like two blocks down the road. So that's an experiment. Oopsies. It didn't work. And it's going to cost us a couple thousand dollar of
the excess probably of $40 $50,000 just to knock those out and then do it again and engage in another study. So it's not like this is not part of the experimentation that is done in Amherst that we need to take into account financially. >> And this is just a $300,000 experiment
or in that price range. Yeah. But but I understand, >> right? And there's the studies that are being currently, you know, undertaken just the studies that cost like 700,000. So, you know, I'd like to have the, you know, the sticker price and the any surpluses that might be able to mitigate because finances is an important
criteria. >> Okay. So, I'll make sure that that goes on and I'm I think I'm right, Bob. We have time on this, right? We have enough time if it's October 17th for time for you to go out and get the information and report back to us.
>> Uh, subject to responses from the installers and vendors. Yes. uh which have been slow to come sometimes. >> Deb. >> Yeah. So actually a lot of my thinking is is follows the same lines as what Angelica is presenting. I kept thinking
about integrated circuits for the Apollo landing moon level moon landing and you know we we sent people into outer space on an experiment which was uh the use of integrated circuits which is very very
cutting edge at that point. Um, and yes, it is money. Um, but or and my I need a little bit more clarity on process. I'm sorry. I need things these sort of things spelled out because Paul wants or feels that it's
important to see an existence proof successful installation in the Northeast. So, I wonder about my my kids spent two years in Wisconsin and they got more snow and they get as much humidity as we do. So, I wondered if if Wisconsin would
count in terms of that condition. Um Bob's going to look for more local um look for other successful installations in in on the East Coast. Um, and we're
expecting to be able to talk to the installers to see if they're willing to have a warranty, a 5year warranty on their work. If any of those three conditions fail and it's October,
what what do we do? Because I think in October, we need to make a decision on which way forward. And if it's just if those three conditions fail and the committee votes against quark keen, what's the alternative?
So, thank you. >> I think that is exactly the situation we're in. And so it's it's the the town has an obligation to taxpayers to at least have some protection. But as Angelica said, can there be do we have a
we do we have an ability to back back our own self up? I don't think any of us are hoping. All of us are hoping that if we go this route, it will work and that we won't be six months later. That was the
easting tearing it up and repairing and relaminating it with an installer that has to drive across the country. That's what we're hoping. So I think that's the knowledge that we're asking to have and um it may still be Deb with those risks
that this committee is willing to vote yes. I'm not saying that that means that we would vote no. So are those preconditions? Everyone here, there are 13 of us um when we're all here has a vote. Okay. So that Yeah. >> No, my So my question is if we vote it
down for whatever reason, what do we vote up in October? >> Well, the it it appears right now, and Jonathan's got his hands up, engineered wood fiber. Unless there's an engineered wood fiber, unless people want to go back to concom, you know that that's
where we are. We don't have another miracle solution. Margaret made a comment to me, she's gone now, that there is a market waiting for a product out there because lots of people are asking about this, you know, that can we do the following that EWF
quite quickly is disturbed when when it gets traffic and we we hope this playground will. So we don't think that's ideal. We never did. So, we don't have, you know, a fourth and fifth choice or third and fourth choice right now, but
there we've got a month and if anyone finds one, it can it can it can be on the list. You know, it's just I did I called the Troy people and they they had nothing. They really had nothing beyond um and some of the things they had in the report,
they they hadn't followed up to see whether it still existed or not. So, it wasn't that they had more. Um, so Jonathan, that so that's where we're going to be and I think so that that's the step forward right now is Bob is going to go
out there and get all as much information including will they warrantee the labor the installer warranty the labor and if they're not big pockets enough with parent companies say I want this product installed more will they come up with it whatever I'm
just saying that if you want to push your product into new markets someone should be backing it up. And so I understand they're two different entities, but that I think that's where we are right now. And fortunately, uh it's not April.
>> So Kathy, I was just going to say I unfortunately I have to depart the conversation at this point. Um I think it's important that we're having this robust discussion um as as sort of my parting comment. Um because if in the end we have to do what you just described which is because of of
constraints that we have um both on the available products what other boards have have uh indicated they they will support or not support um at least we have had a robust um conversation where where the n the
nature of the choice was clearly vetted. So thank you have a have a good afternoon. >> Thank you. So, we have two other I want to make sure. Okay, we still have a quorum. So, we have a construction update. You already had the FFN,
the quick one, and we have invoices before we open it up to public comments. So, I think Cassenia, we're back to seeing the fact that we actually have a school, which is really nice. >> Yes. I do. We have any concern about more people departing before we have to
vote? We have to vote on invoices. We do not have to vote on the construction update. So maybe we do invoices first. >> Five, six, 7, 8, 9. We have 10. We're fine. >> Okay, then let's do the construction update. Connor, would you mind pulling
up the slides? And Tim generously agreed to take us through them again. >> You can see my screen. >> Yes. >> Perfect. There is a uh kind of a black block over the right hand side where you probably
see our faces >> better. >> Yes. >> Perfect. All right. So, as always, starting off with a couple pictures from last month so you can get an idea of what the progress was last month and compare that to the pictures we're going to see
ahead. then scrolling down to the overview picture. Um, and then I'll pass it over to Tim and I'll start scrolling through the slides.
>> So here you can see that the exterior framing is almost all the way to the administration at the east end of the building and actually as of today it is. So uh the building and the windows are completely framed and you should be able to see uh you know the full shape of the building. Uh the yellow is the exterior
sheathing, the white is the vapor barrier, and then as we uh sort of walk around the building in the pictures, you'll see that the classroom end of the building, almost all of the brick is up. Uh here are photos on the inside where you can see that the walls are being framed on the interior. On the third
floor, they are almost completely done. As you walk through the space, you can really get a sense of spaces in the building, the classrooms, all of that. And uh that allows the other trades to work uh on the third floor. They're progressing pretty quickly with the uh
duct work, uh plumbing and electrical um uh to varying degrees. They are also continuing this work on the second and the first floor. Here you can see that they even have a few of the rooms. uh with board on the interior of the building. These are the electrical closets where the
infrastructure that everybody is going to be working off of is happening. So that's why those are done first. And they're also fire rate rooms. Uh but I expect within the next few weeks and maybe by the time the next uh tour with the building committee happens, you'll
probably have some of the walls on the interior, at least on the third floor, uh with board on them. So you'll really truly get a sense of the spaces. Uh on this you can see the exterior of the building. Um on the left is the geothermal field uh southeast of the building. Um all of the wells at this
point are installed with the hub end the tubing that goes in them and the vault in the center of the field and the connection to the building is being made. Um on the right you can see the staging for the mason that is doing uh masonry work uh all the way up to the
gym at this point. >> Wow. >> Tim is the white is that the brick? >> The white is not the brick. The white is the air and vapor barrier that uh goes behind the brick. And then in the next couple of photos you'll be able to see
uh the brick. This is the south elevation that they are currently working on. Um so under the drip direct sunlight you can see a good amount of contrast between the light and the dark brick but this is not yet washed down and after that happens um the contrast
becomes even more pronounced. Uh so the images that we've been looking at and renderings of videos all along that sort of sort of a pop between the black and white to simplify it um is apparent in these images. What you do not see here
um are the colorful pops at the neck. Yeah, where the cursor is. Um so we are working through the materials and the details, but that will be a tile that is installed uh after the fact. Um that will give you the colors. And what also
is not installed on the south elevation yet are the sun shades that will uh really make the building look like what you've been looking at in rendered form all along. Here you are on the north side. This brick is washed down, so it's the final color,
but it's entirely in shadow, so you can't really uh see the contrast, but um all of the window openings are there. And as of last week, they started putting a few in the lower lefthand corner of this picture. So in the very near future, you'll get a a good sense
of what the windows like. Here's another view of the classroom wing from the north that uh you know the exterior facade is is is on its way to being finished. Um what you can't see as the wrap around the kindergarten area on
the lower part uh where the uh composite metal panel will be installed. So that will add another pop of color. This is just a reminder that the site tour is on the 30th, Tuesday the 30th. So, please email me if you haven't
already, uh, if you're interested in attending. >> And I want to say a couple of words on overall schedule. Connor, would you mind jumping back to page five? So Tim pointed out that we have prioritized
the contractor has prioritized accelerating completion boarding of the electrical rooms. There's a reason for that and it's a reason that you may recall us talking about some months ago. Right? So the one
of the uh biggest um areas of focus in terms of schedule is getting the main electrical power um available to this building not only for the completion of the building
but several months ahead of that so that all the mechanical equipment can be brought on online calibrated tested etc. And there is a component of that that relies on the electrical utility to
deliver their transformer to the site. Right? And that is something that we cannot officially request until the according to them now until the build building is electrically ready. So what you see here is the excellent progress
that's being made in order to mitigate that schedule risk. It remains an area of significant focus for a good reason. And I just want to show you that work is being done in order to pre-address it as
much as it is within the team's control. In other ways, um some while ago, you may remember that uh when the um uh our ability to award a construction contract was delayed by several months through
the fall uh from the fall into winter. Um there was a an allowance uh a set of an amount of money set aside to support acceleration. Um that is has continued to be used very judiciously.
um not not at every opportunity for somebody to, you know, go out there and make overtime pay, but in the places where it is most needful in order to be able to get this building up and to open up all the spaces within it to a
multitude of trades to get in there and and start doing their work. and at we're we we keep attention to it on a weekly basis and it appears to be trending well, right? Um and is being managed
well. We are keenly aware that we will be coming into a very tight summer, right, with this building being turned over um in the middle of the summer for, you know, needing to be up and ready and
running and the solar panels panels activated, everything ready to go for the school year. Um, everybody's attention is highly focused on that and we will continue to report as we go. For the moment, we are in a good place and
that is not because nothing comes up that is of concern. It's because everything that comes up gets managed when it's needed. So, I will leave it there. Um, if there are any questions, any comments, questions?
I'm not seeing any hands up. So Connor, if you can take it down, I'll just double check to make I'm sure I'm not missing one. I don't see any hands up. So I think now we're at invoice time.
>> Back to you, Connor. >> We'll turn over to the invoice package. Starting off with our executive summary. As always, uh the green portion of our bar here in the top left is invoice previously. The black portion here is our current uh
invoice package, which is a bigger one this month. Our yellow is our currently unbuilt portion of contracts. And then our white is currently uncommitted costs. Invoice package this month is $8,259,310.
It's 8.3% of the budget overall. Brings us up to 38% invoice overall. The total project budget 62% remaining. Scrolling down to the cash flow. Green is our completed months, our prior
months. Blue is our projection going forward. You can see this month we have quite a large uh invoice package. Um, we'll get to the invoice package in a second. I'm going to talk about why it's it's
particularly large this month. That's a quick look at our cash flow. And you can see our contingency as always hanging off to the side over here. And then this uh shaded green field, I don't know if I touched on it
monthto-month, but uh that's our it shows the accumulating uh total amount invoiced. So this value you see here invoice on this right scale here on the right side.
So scrolling down to the summary. Zoom out a little bit. We have seven invoices this month. One from uh Answer Esenture, two from Disco, one from CTA, two from Allied Testing, and one from Wayne J.
Griffin, who uh we purchased the pre-purchase electrical gear from. And that's one of the reasons that the invoice package is particularly high this month is because we have uh this $267,000 invoice from them this month for that
pre-purchase electrical gear. So, first taking a look at uh answers invoice. One invoice for $63,970. [Music] 2% of our contract overall bring us up to 48% complete, 52% remaining.
Disco has uh two invoices month. Their main invoice for 65,000 that we see every month and their second invoice for geothermal consulting 31,680. 1% of their contract overall bringing them up to 79% complete and 21%
remaining. CTA their requisition this month for 7 million uh 800 thou 818,392 11% of their contract overall 37%
complete 63% remaining. Alli testing two invoices this month. One for $5,69751 and one for $7,373. 3% of their contract overall bringing up to 22% complete. Wayne A. Griffin uh
that invoice we talked about for the pre-purchase electrical gear. Uh $297,197.81. Um, this brings them up to 82% overall, 96% on the contract, 4% remaining, which is uh some retainage that we're
holding on their requisition, which we'll see when we get down to that invoice. >> Conor, before you scroll away, a couple of general notes. So, one, uh, we probably explained retainage before, but
it's worth touching on it again. Um it is a you know for CTA there's a substantial amount almost a million and a half held in retainage now and that is a poor so we approve a chunk of work is being complete let's say if we're looking at a slab we say half a second
floor slabs are done right so it's 50% complete so this is how much is owed to the contractor as allowable by law and contract instead of paying out that full amount we hold back a percentage
um as incentive for the end of a project. Uh to make sure that the contractors, the subcontractors that did their work have an incentive to come back and fix anything that isn't
right or complete anything that's not fully done. Right? of it. We we do not get to a place at the end of a project where it's mostly done and mostly paid and we're having trouble getting contractors back to get it to 100%. So that is what is there that is an extra
security um for the town. And second note I want to make is one of the other reasons why CTA's requisition is uh much higher this month than we have seen so far. There's a few reasons. one is that
there are there some of the big mechanical equipment is starting to come in. Um, so those are expensive pieces, but also I think the last time I checked with our full-time on-site clerk, Lee Figgins, who's out there for us every day, uh, there was something like 16
trades working simultaneously on site. Um, so and that goes along with having gotten the building up. So now that you know there's simultaneous work by multiple trades happening at the same time and it really increases the productivity which is reflected in that
billing. >> Thank you Connor. You can go on. Perfect. Thank you Cassenna. So scrolling down to uh the answer invoice cover page $63,970. And we'll scroll through the backup.
And as always, please stop me if you have any questions. And as always, just speak out um because I can't see you if you're raising your hand. So we on to Disco's invoice from the 65,000 and their second invoice for the month
for their geothermal consultant GZA and the backup invoice from GZA. Moving down to CTA's requisition this month certified for 7,818,392. Moving to the summary, which I'll zoom in on,
we can see here um in the store materials column, column F, what Cassenni was touching on earlier about the mechanical equipment. um $900,915 store materials this month. So we have a
lot of the mechanical equipment that came in now. So that's the store materials column and we also have the work in place column. All the work that's currently or has been completed on site as of the end of August.
Scroll it down. Have the Wayne J. Griffin invoice. You can see marked up here to uh withhold 5% for retainage. Certified in the amount $267,000 $197.81.
81 and the breakdown page for Griffin's requisition. And then finally, we have the two invoices from Alli testing. The first one here for 3,000
get or sorry, $5,69751. And the second one, believe it was $7,373. So that that concludes the invoice package presentation. As always, we pre-review these invoices and recommend them for your approval. >> Are there any questions before I ask for
a motion to make a motion to approve? I'm not seeing any hands up. So, I make a motion to approve the invoices as presented. Is there a second? >> I second. >> Thank you. And I will call on people as
I see them on my screen. Kathy is a yes. Mike, >> yes. >> Simone, we can't hear you, Simone. Sorry. Yes, >> Jennifer. >> Yes, >> Tammy. >> Yes,
>> Ellison. >> Yes, >> Debb. >> Yes. >> Angelica, >> yes. >> Paul, >> yes. >> And Alicia, >> yes. >> Uh, thank you all. The invoices are
approved. Um, are there any other comments or questions? The agenda for the next meeting will be an update including the FFN and coming back to the playground. Um the further exploration both on the quinine potential contract
and getting more information on that. Um if there are no other suggestions I am going to turn it open it for public comments. So we we have we are open for public comments. If you would like to make a public comment, please raise your
hand and you will have up to three minutes. And if you would identify yourself, Ellen, I have brought you in and you should be able to talk if you unmute. >> Okay. Can you hear me?
>> Yes. And just give us your full name, please. >> Sure. I'm Ellen Jedriera. I'm a resident of Ammerst with two kids at Crocker Farm and I'm here today to urge you to keep Corken as the material for the playground service at the new elementary
school. Um I'm making these comments to you as a parent um of elementary school age children and also as a parent of a child with a disability and as an environmentalist. Um I urge you to respect the decision of
the Ammeris board of health and also of course the conservation commission has made its decision regarding permitting um in this area that's near sensitive wetlands. Cine is environmentally sound. It does not contain or leech the toxins that you find in crumb rubber. It
doesn't emit VOCC's. It will not have as high of a surface temperature as other substrates like port in place. Um, you can even walk on it in hotter temperatures than we're used to. It's better for our climate, for carbon emissions, and very importantly, it's
accessible for all children. The product might be new to the United States, but it's not new to Europe, and I've heard it mentioned it's been in use for at least 10 years. There's a number of case studies on the website, which I'm sure many of you have seen, and that includes countries with northern climates and
where English is the primary spoken language. um or in other countries where English would be spel spoken as well. I would hope that we could reach out to some of these folks and possibly get pictures and learn about their experiences and not limit ourselves to
one site in Massachusetts that has had a problem with a contractor. Um to my knowledge, and I I don't I admit I don't know much, engineered wood fiber is mulch, and mulch is just not accessible.
you're going to have to clear pathways. If you're using interlocking mats on top of it, they'll just get covered. You have to con, you know, constantly move the mulch around. Um, that's not accessibility. It's really difficult to move a wheelchair or mobility device
through mulch and it ends up with kids sitting on the sidelines watching their friends play. And it's not inclusive. It's to me is exclusive and it would go against our values. I think as a town um
I think use of core would really place us as a leader in green buildings and accessible playgrounds in the United States and we can be looked to as an example and I think cork can be the dream solution that addresses accessibility and the environmental
concerns that have been raised for the port and place playgrounds and we just need to take the opportunity. Um, so I appreciate you all for your hard work and thank you for listening. And that's the end of my comment. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ellen.
>> Uh, Maria, >> thank you, Maria Kapiki, South Ammerst. So, I sent you a very long email, so I I I won't probably use my whole three minutes here. I hope that you read that. I do want to remind you that rubber
poured in place is not fully accessible. Um, yes, it is a smooth surface, but kids can't use it because of the heat issues. Kids can't use it because of the offging. Um, and you know, so
please do not use rubber pip. I I also sent to Kathy some photographs that were taken today of the Kendrick and Grath Park playground surfaces. Those were built in 2021 and 2019 respectively.
They have cracks. They h they are degraded. They have spots where there is free crumb rubber sitting on the surface, sitting on playground equipment that is going to be eaten by kids. And I
mean, you please please do not use this. And Kathy, if you could please share those photos with the rest of the um the committee, I'd really appreciate that. Um, every single possible thing that you are going to put on the playground
surface and for that matter this entire project I will remind you is going to require maintenance. So what was included in the packet to it tried to indicate that cork has some like wild maintenance schedule that is exa just
wander around some rubber pip sites. It's the same thing. The maintenance is the same. Okay. So, um, please don't use a petroleum based product that is going to cause exposures and risks to our kids and to our
environment. Please stick with Corkin. Put in the leg work now. Get it done. We will not regret it. We will be the better for it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Maria. >> Can I on a totally separate thing? Um,
uh, I know you don't answer questions, but, um, Cassenia, you mentioned that, uh, talked about some accelerated, uh, dollars amounts. Uh, and I'm wondering, it wasn't clear to me because things were zipping by. Were any, was there any
money used out of that bucket of money that's there for to to speed things up if we needed to because of the delay? Was anything used this past month? I just want to um make I just want to confirm that if you could
please please please. Thank you. Thanks Maria. So I think that concludes the meeting and uh to the extent people would like um when we go through the invoices additional detail read out we'll get it
read out next time. um just uh these these invoices fly by our eyes a bit, but they're quite remarkable the level of information we're getting on a regular basis. So, I want to thank the team for that and also for keeping this
all on schedule. So, I think um unless I see any hands go up, we have an agenda for next month and I'll see you in about a month. So, I'm going to make a motion to adjourn. If someone will second it, I'll just quickly go around the room. Is
there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Um I am a yes. Mike, >> agreed. >> Simone, >> yes. >> Uh Allison, >> yes. >> Tammy, >> yes. >> Deb, >> yes.
>> Jennifer, >> yes. >> Angelica, >> yes. Paul. Paul may be gone. I know it was He's on vacation calling in. And Alicia, >> yes,
>> we are adjourned. And just so you know, the council started doing this just to make sure that people knew the meeting was over and had consent to it. We journing ourselves. We are adjourned and I will see you all next month and thank you all for participating in this
conversation. I think it was, as Jonathan said, a very good one. Thank you. Goodbye.