two. >> Good evening. Welcome to the Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 middle school building committee meeting. Um we are still waiting for a quorum uh as under um advice of council.
Uh we have a member who will be um coming about 6:15. So we will be delaying official business uh until the time we have a quorum and I will call the meeting to order at that time. In the interim uh we are allowed to at
least give um the OPM update on the schedule. Um so why don't we start with that? >> Sure. >> Uh Tom, if you want to go to the next page, that >> this doesn't have to be part of the official minutes until we come to the forum.
>> Yes, sir. Just to make sure we're all on the same page now. >> You are correct. We're not called to order as of yet. >> Right. Okay. >> All right. So, schedule-wise, this is a a high level schedule that we've been presenting every month. Uh we're still in the detailed design phase. Uh we are
getting ready to actually do some um qualification reviews on uh two of the trades. We have elevator and we have electric >> early electric as well. Um so, I've been working with uh Chad. He's going to be putting that out um on the combines and
out um through the newspaper ads next week. Is it? >> Yep. >> Yep. So, yeah. So, Chad's all set with that. So, that'll be going out and then we'll be uh meeting in our subcommittee group uh to go through the um qualifications to uh make sure that we're getting the best possible biders
on the project for at least those two trades to start. Um and we have on the schedule what it's showing here is that uh right in June at some point we're going to be um starting some of those early packages on site. Um and then moving into our full construction mode kind of right after the kids get out of
school. And uh we're going to be working through that for the next 32 months until the fall of 2028. If we want to go to the next slide, we can kind of get more into detailed schedule here. Um so you can see where
up top right um we have the two areas that are circled. We have the school building committee meeting tonight um where we're going to be looking for the approval of the design development and DESIE submitt uh that will go off to Desi and to the MSBA tomorrow. Um that's going to include our updated designs
that we have. Um we've had some cost estimates that were completed uh since the last time we met and we'll get into that further into the presentation. And from there, the MSBA will have uh their three weeks to review it and then they'll have the Odessi approval. Um and
then we'll get the comments back from from MSBA and we'll have a time period to respond to those as well. Uh then from there we move into the um construction document phase. Um and our you know our first next estimate will be
at the 60% of um construction documents. um from there and then from there we move into 90% and and so on uh until we are ready for 100% complete set at the end of um September um of this year. So
that's kind of where we are high level with schedule if there's any questions. >> Questions on schedule? Yeah, but so far we're on schedule and we're we've had a lot of meetings since uh we've been meeting with the LPD, LFD,
um with the district on a whole bunch of different stuff and and logistic wise and safety and and building um over the past month. So, it's been a lot of good progress. All right. Um hold on one sec. The other updates we
have for here are going to be um based on votes. I would not want to get into them yet. Um CM update item number seven. Do you have an update on that? >> Sure. We just really just more on what Adam said this past month.
Uh we really got deep into the estimate process. Uh a lot of work, you know, behind Kevin and I. We've got a full stable back at our office that was really involved working with JWA uh and collers on getting into details constructibility reviews um and putting
together really quite a detailed estimate 115 pages a lot of uh minutia but and we had a full day reconciliation meeting with design team's um other estimator really putting together a lot of the detail comparisons to make sure
we're interpreting drawings correctly. Um so it was really really good thorough process uh getting involved in the project over the past month. >> Yeah. And just a reminder that process is so we have two estimators. We have um PMNC who is um JWA's consultant for an
estimator and then um Fontaine does their own estimate. So we have two separate estimates that are going on at the same time and then we come together um to reconcile those estimates to make sure that the scope is the same. Uh we're looking at quantities and and unit pricing and all that kind of stuff. Uh
it's a long process. We go we take an entire day going through it all, making sure everybody's on the same page. Um and we do have some details within the presentation, but good news is everything right now that we have as far as scope-wise, we are still um on budget, which is great. Um just a little bit under budget, but pretty much right
on budget. Um which is great news. and that's carrying the scopes that we've been talking about with um you know full irrigation and you know everything that we've kind of discussed throughout the whole design. Um as of right now we haven't had to do any value engineering with cutting anything out of the out of
the scope at this point. But again we're going to still have um more estimates that are going to come at the 60 and 90% to make sure that we're maintaining those uh those prices and the market hasn't changed too much. So again we'll keep those updated and you know hopefully it stays on track.
So, town project was the TVW tear down, right? That was in the town manager report. Sorry about that. I don't know why my voice is cracking. Um, and we're hoping the bids come in lower
this time was Lynn's message. How what's that construction environment now looking like with the bids coming in? Are we still like saying like are they getting better or like are we seeing anything on the street changing? No. I guess >> that would be probably more a question
for Fontaine, but I think we're still tracking pretty well. Would you say as far as bids coming in now, we're still pretty favorable is >> as far as the market >> as far as the market goes compared to maybe a year ago. >> Yeah, it's still it's what we're seeing on other projects things are very competitive. a lot of interest um even
just during this estimating process. A lot of interest um just on the budgeting side of things. So, we're confident that's still going to hold true. >> Are we good? >> Yep. >> We're six. >> You are.
>> Sounds like a Broadway show. >> We're six. Sorry. >> No joke. >> I know. All right. Um, I'm going to call this uh middle school building committee meeting on Wednesday, February 11th,
2026 to order at 6 p.m. uh 6:08 p.m. 07 p.m. Um, start with uh voting uh roll call. Kate >> here. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Cararissa >> here.
>> Nicole >> here. And Chris >> here. >> Cool. All right, we have a quorum. Um, so call the meeting to order. Public comment. Not seeing any. We'll move on. Approval of minutes. Does anyone make a
motion? >> I'll move to approve the December 10th, 2025 minutes. >> Second. >> Motion. Second. Discussion. >> Seeing none, call for a vote. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Armen,
>> yes. Carissa, >> yes. >> Chris, >> obscene. >> Nicole, >> yes. >> We have minutes from January 14th. Is there a motion? >> So moved to approve. >> Is there a second?
>> Second. >> Motion second. Roll call. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Armen, yes. Cararissa, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Nicole, >> yes. >> Motion passes. correspondence. We have
none. We uh we we discussed OPM or we there was OPM discussion uh with the schedule update. The schedule is on the website. Um construction manager update. Uh we go to design update.
>> Great. >> And Christian, you handling this? >> Sure. >> Okay. >> Um Tom, next page. >> Thanks, Paige. There you go. Just so everybody knows, we do have votes we need tonight to submit to the MSBA. So, this is a pretty important meeting.
>> Yes. Thank you for being here. So, this is one of the first votes um is the district has the opportunity to or the billing committee has the opportunity to um pick specific products that they want to be proprietary. So under public
bidding law in Massachusetts, you generally have to list three or equals um or give a performance spec that anybody can meet. So for the windows um you can get, you know, competition on that and get a very competitive number.
Um and it opens up the public bidding environment. Um with a specific vote from the billing committee, you're allowed to say instead of three or equals, we want this specific product. and you have to provide a justification. And with all of these, this is so that
um what's going into the new school will fit into the larger context of what's going on with the district or the town. So, we reached out to um you know, kind of Lynn and Nick um and Nick George as well um to figure out if there were
specific uh you know, requirements and and um manufacturers that the town was using on other uh buildings or other schools. Um and so this is a list of nine items that have been requested to be listed as proprietary in the specifications.
Um, and this is pretty typical for um, you know, school projects that we've seen of late. I think this list matches pretty I mean, not the uh, manufacturers on the left, but the categories on the right are are pretty consistent. So, uh, S2 for access control systems. Um,
that's a brand that the the town and district are using uh, elsewhere. Uh, access communications for both security cameras and the video management system. Um, sometimes those can be different. um HD global for access control card readers again so those can be consistent
across the district. Um a recent change but helpful to get this input from the district was ubiquity for both network switches and the wireless access uh points. Um those will both be included in the um in the uh contractor's base
bid. Um Schlleg was requested for door hardware. That's so that your keying system can work um across the district. uh automated logic for the building management system. Um that's controlling all of the HVAC systems. Um and then
Yale link um for the telephone system. Um so again, a lot of really helpful input from the town and the district uh coming up with this list. I sent a lot of annoying emails, so I appreciate everyone replying to those. Um are there
any questions on these items? Door hardware. That's just badge reader. >> That's for physical >> physical keys >> keys and for the >> the HD global hardware, right? >> We don't have doors, don't forget. So, I'm just learning.
>> So, it is a question we often >> walls. >> So, we'll have doors and walls. We often get requested that uh every door have a fob reader. Um in the perfect world I think that would be the approach that we
would take. It's something that uh we have not been able to do. You know it's quite expensive to do that. So we will go through the district to make sure that you know exterior doors are on fobs potentially. Interior doors that are uh you know security critical like maybe to
the server room uh might be on a fob but everything else will just be on a on a physical old-fashioned key. Would you segment like the athletic space for like the construction space so you know at night athletics can go on
>> in terms of the keying? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. With the fob system. >> The fob system for sure. But then even with the keying system, we'll go through and we'll create this very complicated keying diagram so that you'll have a grandmaster so that the facilities folks
can get into every single room and then you can break it down so that the administration folks might have access to certain rooms that the IT folks might have access to certain rooms that the classroom teachers might not have access to those rooms. Um so we can still certainly break it down that way as
well. So I understand why we want proprietary items but is there by taking the competition out of it is there uh or not shopping around are we is there a big cost to us because of
that >> it's generally not there will be yes um I think you know for like door hardware right so if you had Stanley going against leg you know that you might get a slightly better price what's helpful with all of these
is often you'll at least have different vendors that carry that same product and at least those vendors are bidding against each other. Um so in that way you can still get >> so we're not just cutting and not saying all right we're getting all this from here and it is the price is what the price is >> right. Okay. >> Are the products relatively ubiquitous
that there are several vendors? >> Yes. >> Represent them. Yeah. >> And do we eventually get to pick what the hardware looks like? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Just because right now the few doors that we have once you pull out the magnet like we if there's a sub they
couldn't shut it have to be locked like you had to use a key like I'm just wondering if it's an easier >> they'll go through that whole process if you need a key to lock it from the inside or a turn style you know there's so many different options and >> it the keying meeting is probably one of the most boring meetings you're going to
be going through but it's it's it's very necessary it's it's all tiered how they get locked you it'll all be unique to the and how you guys want to have it. >> Okay. Any other questions or comments in regards to the proprietary items?
If not, then we do need a vote to approve the proprietary items as presented. Is there a motion? So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion?
Seeing none, I'll call for the roll call. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Armen, yes. Nicole, >> yes. >> Cararissa, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Motion passes unanimously. Uh we now
have the proposal for bringing on an irrigation consultant >> and a structural peer review. Um yeah so this is again would be um both of these would be procured through our uh it's called a reimburseable expense. Um so
it's build through us. We handle the coordination with the consultant uh often through one of our uh engineers already working on the project. Um in that large expense spreadsheet the 311
um we had uh roughly uh $400,000 set aside for reimburseable expenses. Um that is not right. I think it was 700 and we have 325 remaining in the budget with if
these both go in. But for the irrigation consultant, this would be an outside consultant. The district has expressed interest in um having some irrigation around the property, hoping that will help with maintenance um and and kind of the you know sod and and plants around
the building um looking well many years into the future. Um the benefit of the site is that there is um uh groundwater and so it's very likely that we'll be able to dig a well and have the irrigation run off of that well. um
simplifies things from a town uh utility point of view. Um and so the we have outlined the irrigation in the uh DD set so far. So it was included in the DD cost estimate. That's one of the reasons why we felt more comfortable bring this
forward into the school building committee tonight because um you know the project uh has shown that it can afford the costs of an irrigation system around the school. Um so this would be taking that forward and really um through the uh construction document
phase um and then also through construction administration. So that comes to 20,350 that's through Irrigation Consulting Incorporated. The second one is uh actually a requirement of the MSBA for projects over a certain number of square feet. I
think it's maybe even 10,000 or something quite small, but that they request that a uh an outside structural peer review uh reviews the documents that our structural engineer um produces. Um have a bit of a back and forth. Um it's actually we found it to
be quite helpful. Um it's often very open and congenial. Um we've gotten a lot of proposals before from different structural engineers. We've actually worked with DM Berg on um a couple recent projects and their costs are just
uh quite competitive compared to other costs that we've gotten from other folks. Um so total for this one is $6,000. >> Don't we have to have a well if we have geothermal? >> Great question. So we will have lots of
wells for the geothermal. Those will be closed looped. So just feed in the geothermal system. uh when we did the test well for the geothermal, that's when we got the idea that we could do the irrigation on the site. So, we might have an additional well outside of the geothermal system potentially on a
different >> So, it needs to be an open loop to be able to do irrigation, >> right? You're actually just pulling the water from the from the groundwater >> and then it goes out to >> Right. But then it goes back irrigates and then goes back in to the groundwater again. >> You can't use the closed loop for
irrigation. I guess not. Yeah. doesn't >> No, that's that's just that's just a closed loop that's getting the heat from the earth and then returning it to the uh >> but you could use an open loop for geothermal. >> You can potentially um and this site looks like you could potentially do
that. Um we talked about that a little bit with the district. The maintenance costs are a little bit higher um and the equipment doesn't last quite as long. >> So we have elected to go with a closed loop. So, we're looking to see that test well that we already dug if that can be
utilized for the irrigation well. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but that's what the consultant is. >> The test well >> is it 400 500? It's Yeah, it's deep. >> What does the structural peer review
entail? So they're really just looking at uh the calculations and the drawings that our structural engineers coming up with and just giving kind of an outside perspective on their calculations and their details. >> I'm just thinking of my own rates. That
seems almost too cheap. I well it's quite inexpensive but on the last project we used them they did have some really helpful feedback and there was some some back and forth and give and take and um so yeah >> they're engineer it's an engineering group
>> it is a it is a yeah well respected structural engineer in the state >> so uh procedural question both of these are build by you >> but comes out of our the reimburseable budget that we have >> yeah so the architects under you have
the architect their their base contract and then under that you have you know reimburseables for their consultants and so when JWA sends their invoice in you're going to it'll be separated out they'll have their base contract and underneath it'll have you know an invoice from there different consultants and
>> one for the one >> exactly so we just code them differently so when I said Chad the invoice for payment there's one code they're all MSBA codes and so in order to get reimbursed on different parts of the of the budget. >> You have to code it separately. So
>> that I get I guess the question I like does it matter what we thought like are you just bringing this to us because it's nice for you guys to bring to us or is this you needed our approval to do something that we already said you have the approval of this budget to do? >> No, because the the reimburseables
budget is a not to exceed budget but we hope that we won't expand the whole thing >> because this will modify their contract. So contractually we'll do an amendment with JWA and so that >> okay like I said I just want procedurally I just want to understand how
>> the minations are working. >> Yeah the reimburseable budget is set for items where you don't really know what the scope's going to be before the project starts. So your site survey for instance could be a huge site and you'd have a lot of site survey expenses or it could be a very small site. So um site
survey geotechnical irrigation all that kind of thing. >> Yeah. Okay. All right. And down the road, Armen, some of these we'll end up developing probably a a finance subcommittee. And so that subcommittee may handle these outside of the full committee meeting. >> And so it's already part of the contract
price that we have the J J. >> Well, this will amend their contract. It's already part of the budget that we have under architect and the reimburseable. So their contract that they have now will be increased by the 26 350 um at through an amendment. >> But it being under them means we don't have to go out and bid all these little
tiny jobs. >> Correct. Correct. Okay. Yeah. >> Good. Um, do you have anything else or >> I have more, >> but I don't want to take a vote on this. Great. >> We need votes on these. >> Well, I know we do, but I don't Do you have more on these two?
>> No, no, no, not on this. >> There we go. Okay. Thank you, Tom. >> Um, so you want to do them separately? >> Um, that's the way they came along. I'm not sure if anything Adam needs Adam, >> you need them separate. You want them in one motion? >> No, they can do one motion. It's fine. >> Okay. So we need a motion to approve
bringing on the irrigation consultant and approving the structural peer review. >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Motion second. Any further discussion by anybody? >> Seeing none, I'll call for a roll call. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes.
>> Armen, yes. Cararissa, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Nicole, >> yes. >> Motion passes. Carry on. >> Okay. Thank you. Um Tom, do you mind
scrolling down the next page? So >> trying to >> uh some nights we get to present a lot of pretty pictures and then some nights we present a lot of words. Uh so that's tonight. Um so this is a the table of
contents uh of the uh binder that's going to the Massachusetts School Building Authority hopefully tomorrow with our design development submission. Um my thought was to just quickly kind of run through these and if there's any
topics uh that seem um you know like you have specific questions certainly let us know. Um our whole office has been you know neck deep in this. So we're pretty familiar uh with all these documents at this point. Um but it's it's really it's a combination. We basically all the
documents come in from lots of folks, our consultants, our engineers, um Adam, Jason and his team and Fontaine and Kevin. Um so we try to collect them all and get them formatted and and cleaned up as best we can. Um and then this whole thing goes out tomorrow. It will the nice thing is that it can go to the
MSBA. Um it'll also be a nice clean design development set that can go to the town so we can have the uh departments review it um and uh and all be packaged you know together. So uh OPM cover letter uh introduction uh that the MSBA requires about the project just
with some key facts. Um under submittal reviews and coordination we get comments from collers we get comments from Fontaine and we get comments from the commissioning agent who's already been brought on board. They're actually hired by the MSBA. That's who their contract is through. Um, and they've all looked
at our DD cost estimate set and started making comments about constructibility, things to, um, you know, look out for based off of past experience. Um, super helpful. We try to answer the most of those as we can. Some of them we say we'll wait till the next phase. Um,
we're not quite that level of detail yet. Um, but those are all, you know, helpful feedback. uh throughout the process. Um they asked that we uh include uh the MSBA uh comments from the schematic design submission just to kind of refresh their memories on where this
project was left. Um uh coordination or confirmation of the designer evaluation that's with DAM um and then minutes uh from the school building committee meeting and especially of this uh vote tonight. um a detailed project schedule provided by
Adam that um you know we've all seen uh with some of our our packets. Um then we get into the scope and budget and I'll go through that next with uh again as Adam and Jason were describing with our um cost estimate reconciliation. So we have a a cost estimate from Fontaine, a
separate cost estimate from PMNC who's our uh cost estimator um and then some comparison sheets. Uh we have our work plan which is basically just our schedule going forward. Um a basis of design narrative uh that comes from all of our consultants. So architectural,
structural, mechanical, etc. Uh we have an updated building code analysis. Um which is helpful that they require at this point just to kind of check ourselves. Um green communities and lead scorecard. Uh we are again going for lead silver um and additional MSBA
reimbursement points uh by targeting certain lead points. Um so they want to have that in writing um and promise that we're going to get there. Uh the proprietary items that we just voted on that will be included um which uh will
be great. Um interior and exterior materials which we've started to review with you all at the at the previous meetings. So that's great. Um we'll certainly do that again probably next month and the month after that. Um structural calculations is 300 pages
that that I could not understand. Um independent structural review again is what we just voted on. They want right now the MSBA just wants to know that that process has started. At the next submission they'll see a report from that structural reviewer um and understand a little bit of the back and
forth. uh energy model calculations that's coming from our mechanical engineer LN um that's actually gone through more back and forth than we're used to because the town's energy um analysis has asked for that uh air I think is his name
>> um which has been fantastic. our energy modeler was thrilled that someone uh dove through his report and asked uh really um detailed questions. Um >> and like nothing coming out of that like >> no there's some great back and forth and
I think everyone was you know happy >> back exactly >> those guys are another level. >> Yeah, they're both happy at the end then I'm happy. There we go. That was great. Um that more calculations, heat gain and loss calculations, electrical load
calculations coming from our electrical engineer. Um a document from our security team from Good Harbor uh on a security and visual access requirements. Um facility and maintenance requirements. We have had a lot of meetings, you know, talking about the loading dock area and uh you know, how
to maintain some of the finishes that we're proposing for the school. Um so that's just you know, keeping the MSBA ab breast of that information. uh quality control narrative. That's us reviewing our own drawings and um going through a QAQC process.
Then there's the space summary which I don't know if you remember but back in schematic design we spent a lot of time on that really looking at the square footage of each and every room. Um not much has changed there. Some rooms have gone up or down by five square feet depending on chases or you know wall
shifting. Um because of that some of our special education spaces have changed slightly. So we are doing a new submission to deesse um uh that was already approved at the end of schematic design. They were happy with uh our um sizing and layout of
special education spaces, but we just have to give them a slight update because of the the minor changes. Um project approvals is kind of next steps. That's the planning and zoning um and town approvals that we're looking for. Uh then you know the part that the
majority of our office is focused on is the big package of drawings that will also get uh submitted to the MSBA in the town. The project manual which is the specifications. Uh the MSBA requires that that be an outline uh specifications at this point
in the project. It makes it much easier for me or anybody to understand off the street. But that will change drastically when we get into 60% CDs. Then it will become what's called three-part specifications and that's when it starts becoming two or three volumes of uh
documents and then a project coordination checklist. So all of that's going to the MSBA tomorrow. Um and just kind of gives them an update on on where the project is in general. >> Any questions on any other stuff are
>> vote or you want to vote >> from there? I was going to go into the the cost estimate side of things because that's usually the part that's >> Sure. >> Quick question. >> Yeah, go ahead. Corpor >> I don't know where we are with it and I don't know if it would be included in in
a package like this but um does solar get put into something like this? >> Great question. >> It's on the list as >> we first add alternate but you'll talk. >> No, that's great. That's great. Uh why don't we wait a little bit but we can
>> Okay. If you're going to cover it. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Great. >> Other questions on this list of >> tables. >> Are you going into the three and then talking about the so irrigation as the the fencing and the field or the three?
>> Those aren't alternates. We just did. >> No, they're not alternates, but they're in. And then solar is the first ad alternate, right? >> Yes. That's the only one that we have currently. >> All right. But we can talk about all four of those or Okay.
All right. So Tom's page. So uh as Adam mentioned, we had this all day cost estimate reconciliation. Um was super helpful. So to refresh folks memories back at the end of schematic design. Um we arrived at a number of 118,99700
and that is set in stone. So that's now our benchmark that we're always trying to um come in right at or a little bit under um through all of these. >> And that's construction cost. >> That's construction costs only. >> And then the project budget is 151
million. Um and that was what was approved at by the town. Um and so was baked into all of that um process. So, uh, we gave our DD cost estimate set to both PMNC and Fontaine. Um, and they looked at it
independently for about a month, a little bit under. Um, and they came back with their initial uh, estimates coming in at just over 119 million. And they were shockingly close, the two. Once you got into the details a little bit, you know, there were variations between uh,
subcategories. Um but both of them coming in just over $119 million. So then we had that reconciliation uh which was really helpful. Our consultants come on um Tom and Armen were there for parts of it. Um and so
first we talk about site, then we talk about mechanical, then we talk about electrical um structural, then we talk about architecture. Um and in that kind of give and take of you know us clarifying some things. Oh, we thought that we had to export all the soil. Oh,
actually you can keep some of the soil on site. Um, you know, weren't too clear on this detail. What type of finish were you expecting there? Um, so there's some feedback there and then some feedback just between the estimators. Um, you know, oh, I think uh CMU is coming in at
$45 a square foot. I think it's coming in at $40 a square foot. Oh, let's, you know, maybe meet in the middle or maybe we'll stick to our guns and, you know, we want to keep the number that we feel comfortable with. So after that very long process, we got to a new total construction costs and the average
between the two of them came in at 118,872 623, which is just under where we were at schematic design, which is great news. What's also great news about that number is it includes things that were not really included at schematic design.
So we've included a fence around the entire site to replace the existing chain link fence. Nothing too fancy, but at least a new fence around the entire site. It included a new pre-engineered metal building for um maintenance uh
equipment um 20 ft by 40 ft um near the synthetic turf field. It included irrigation um not the whole site, but a pretty substantial portion of the site and especially all the site around the school. Um, so all of those items were
wrapped into that number coming in at 118.8 million. >> Does that number include our the contingency if they're wrong or costs go up? I I remember we have some sort of built-in.
>> So this is this is perfect. So go to the next slide, Tom. So it includes some of those contingencies Josh, which are called design contingencies. It does not include um you know owner contingency or
construction contingency that those are two separate buckets that >> confusing >> the district will have throughout construction. So we'll be able to draw from construction contingency for you know for unforeseen conditions design errors you know um and then there's owners contingency if you if there's
items that want to be brought into the project that were outside the scope essentially. Uh, so there's two different buckets that um we can draw from, but Christian can go through and explain what the contingencies are that are within the estimating process. >> Those other two buckets that you're talking about, is that money that the
district would be on the hook for completely if that if we did that? >> So, it's the MSBA reimbures 1% of of the construction contingency. So, it's not a lot, but it is, >> you know, there are items in there that certainly will be reimbured. Sounds like
if steel if steel doubles in costs, that's a construction contingency. >> Yes. Or Yeah. If we're going out to bid and all of a sudden it's it's doubling. Yes. You can use construction contingency to bring that into, you know, to fill the void >> and we have some of that void. We have
that built in to >> into that project budget. It's yes, that will be carried through through the end of the project. And it is a healthy contingency that we have, which is great because with the market, you don't know what's going to happen at this point. So, Yeah, said >> the example you asked about is actually
the most complicated because we also so under that line item so you can see so we have direct trade costs so I'll just go through this very quickly so substructure foundations the shell of the building coming in about 22 million interiors services that's uh like all
the mechanical electrical plumbing coming in at about 28 million equipment and furnishings demolition site work coming in at about 19 million so that's your direct trade costs at 93 million contingencies and escalation under that.
So if steel goes up a little bit while we go through construction documents, some of that will be dealt with by that contingencies and escalation line item right there. So the cost estimators are looking at how they see the market
escalating until we go out to bid and they've included that number. Okay, >> here. Okay. >> There's no futures options or you can't purchase the option to purchase steel. >> No.
>> No. >> Yes. >> Just asking. And in commercial, you know, >> I mean, sort of lock in a a price point, >> right? >> No. >> No. Because you need to know so many details by the time that you're placing that order that >> Yeah. The drawings aren't up to speed
yet where you can actually go out the bid just now. >> Okay. >> So, you would be purchasing it now and then having to change it because the design isn't fully designed. >> Understood. Okay. >> Yeah. >> And what is our time frame from now until we can go out to bid? >> Uh so we'll get to that.
>> Okay. All right. I'm just wondering in terms of what Josh >> today, >> you know, in terms of what Josh was asking in terms of, you know, pricing changing, you know, is it, >> you know, with that kind of >> Yeah. Yeah. So, what we're going to see
happen is when we have this the next time around when we do another set of estimates at the uh 60%. You're going to see that contingency and escalation. That number is going to come down, but the other numbers may go up. So, that's what there'll be just because there are unknowns at this point. We're still a good amount of time away before we're
going out to bid. That's why you have that contingency and escalation number in there in order to fill the void between what the unknowns are at this point. >> Yeah. So, I guess in my head I'm just thinking, all right, so 151 total is kind of the worst case scenario. We were conservative in that we built in a big
buffer just in case. Yes. >> But that we expect that to shrink, >> but we have we should still have enough of a buffer that we're not we can't go back to the town and ask for more. >> No. Correct. Yeah. And so those other two contingencies that we're talking about, construction and orders, that's
when we actually get into construction is what those are usually used for. This is used for kind of the bidding. Gotcha. Okay. >> Care through. >> Okay. >> And I asked that question earlier in a a week, Josh, on regards to >> like maybe just a little shell shock
from other buildings in town, but like what are we going to find like buried on site when we start going and making sure that you know our contingency is there for as best as remediation. It's >> I'm hoping. Yeah. Yeah. We've drilled, we've taken sites, but you know, you never know.
>> You never know. Yeah. You could come across a tank that's buried in there that nobody knew about. you know, stuff like that does happen and that's why you you have contingencies in your budget to, you know, to be able to to pay for those when it does happen. >> There's never been a tennis ball over that. So,
we're halfway there. >> Um, great. So um the next slide down so the one item that we did uh pull out as an ad alternate so this is not in that number above so it's not in the 118.8 8
million of of construction cost is a uh rooftop PV system 500 kilowatts. Um we do have a PV designer on board. So we have uh the layout of how that's going to look on the roof. Um he's been designing it so that he you know we
we've had lots of back and forth which is great. You know we said why didn't you put a few more panels over here on that side of the roof. And he said well that's because you know you have a certain number of panels per uh inverter and I want to maximize the number of panels per inverter. it makes sense that for more and then require a new
inverter. So, uh we're getting to that level of design which is great. Um and uh so the cost for this is coming in at about 1.6 million. So I think that's an item where we can see how the bidding
environment looks once we get to the bids and if there's some savings there. and also starting to look at that project contingency, owners contingency, and construction contingency and seeing if, you know, we aren't finding any surprises. We're already in the ground
with some of our early uh enabling work. Um, and if that's looking good, then maybe we can start feeling more comfortable about investing in this uh at all. >> I I have to admit, I was in the car when we were uh talking about this at our last when this came up.
Do we have a uh a schedule on how if how this will look BB uh electrical costs to us uh if if we have a return overall? Do we have we seen that?
>> Yeah. So, I don't think we've given you guys a return a rate of return yet, but it does look like this system would accommodate somewhere between 60 and 70% of the building's electrical usage. Um, EUI is a thing that everyone's direct
energy use intensity and again with the um the uh incentives from Massave, we're trying to get an EUI under 23 and looks like we're around 21 right now. But once you take that PV into account, our PV
consultant said then it would go down to about an 11. Um, so you can just see that with that PV system, your building starts becoming incredibly efficient. Um, so certainly would be worthwhile.
>> Well, worthwhile for that, but is it worthwhile just on a straight cost basis? After 18 years, it's paid for itself. I I we'll wait till I can get you those the numbers and we'll have you guys um run that comparison, but I can almost guarantee that yes, especially
for a public project where you're going to own this thing for, you know, hopefully more than 50 years. >> Um but generally, yes, we've been seeing paybacks in the 10 year range. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Wow. Okay. So, Massachusetts, I I know
for residential changed um their reimbursement or their for kilowatt hours over and above use your usage. You know, what you're sending back to the grid if you if you're producing more than you're using. >> They changed the reimbursement on on
that overage. Did they do that for commercial projects as well? >> I don't know. >> Because it makes it's huge. >> Yeah. >> You know, I I c I can say that we um it's extremely complicated for uh a public building of
this size to plan a system that would actually have excess energy and send back to the grid. It's it's very the the utility struggles to make that possible. They have to upgrade a lot of other systems to allow for that. It's very different than the residential where
they're quite happy to have that flow back and forth. Um so for that reason you'll find most projects try to stay under a limited size and and we are staying under 500 kilowatts partly for that reason because it's it it makes the project much more complicated go to and
that that allows the utility to know that they are not going to have to >> manage a two-way stream of of um energy flow. >> Thank you. Great. So that between the table of contents and then getting into the
nitty-gritty on the uh dollars and cents um is basically the bulk of the design development package. So looking for a vote for that uh approval and submission to the MSBA tomorrow.
Uh, I move that the Long Meadow School Building Committee has completed its review of the total bud project budget for the Long Meadow Middle School project and approves the submittal to MSBC MSBA for consideration. >> You have to add design development to
that, >> please. I >> think if it's in the next one, I'm >> It doesn't have to be in both. >> I don't know. I'm assuming these came directly from >> Yeah. >> JWA. They are >> okay. >> One is just for the total project budget
and then the other is for the DD submission. >> Okay. >> Second. >> Second. Is there any discussion? So none of call for roll call. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Carmen, yes. Carissa, >> yes. >> Chris,
>> yes. >> Nicole, >> yes. >> Unanimous. I move that the Long Meadow School Building Committee has completed its review of the 100% design development submitt for the Long Meadow Middle School project and vote to approve and authorize the project team
to submit the design development related submitts to the MSBA for consideration. >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, call for a vote. Kate, >> yes. >> Josh, yes. >> Herman, yes. Carissa,
>> yes. Uh Chris, >> yes. >> Nicole, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right, next steps. >> So, as I mentioned earlier, we are we
did see working through the RFQ process, request for qualifications, and and from there, we'll move into bidding out some of those early packages that we talked about. Um, >> you have anything else that you wanted to talk about or >> I surprised Jason and Adam by inserting
this slide under their uh under their perview, but um this helps illustrate a little bit the early release packages that we're looking at. Um, and so, uh, I don't know, Jason, if you want to talk about this more than I do, but the
enabling and off-site work, um, is what, you know, we're trying to pre-qualify for that electrical filed sub bid, just the work that's, uh, a portion to that enabling work. So, uh, they will be bidding off of that 60% cost estimate
set in April. Um I think the plan is for switch gear and uh generator to also go relatively early off the 60% MSBA set. We'll do that process again at the 90% cost estimator set. That one will be
more substantial. That'll be our structural engineers will really be hustling for that one. And our civil engineers as well. Um and that's when we'll bid out concrete, structural steel, glue lamps, elevator, and then the civil site work.
And then our final bid set after work is already started right on the site. So it's a little bit confusing. One of the benefits of the CM at risk, they can start that work early while we're still working on the package. Um we'll have the mechanicals, electricals, plumbing, geothermal, landscape, architectural,
all going out in late September. >> Is a switch here in the generator. Is that that's an example of why the C why we did see them at risk? >> Exactly. Yeah. >> The delay times on those. So, how how much earlier are we doing this now because of CMR versus uh I can't
remember the other ter. >> Well, we're four four months ahead of where we would have been otherwise. >> That's good. >> Yeah. >> Awesome. >> Any questions about this? Fontine, you guys have anything you want to put in there? No. Good.
>> We didn't cover government. >> Any further questions for committee? All right. So we do have next steps muting. So you just talked about some of the next steps. I think the good thing to say is that we're in module six of
MSBA process. We are now past >> DD or we're submitting DD which we can move on to the next two steps in module six. So >> there's only nine modules. So it feels pretty good right now. >> Fingers still crossed. I mean, there's still some hurdles, but
>> y summer will be here before we know it and we'll be seeing equipment on site and fences up and all that kind of stuff. So, >> I guess for the committee, just so everybody knows, there's been some conversation going back and forth around setting up dates for um meeting with the
planning board again uh and uh meeting with the ZBA. Um so, Lynn's office, Michael's been helping us to set some of those up. The expectation is that as many of the members that can be there, they would like to be there um for that
that that final kind of hurdle meeting for all of us and uh letters will be going out to the abuters prior to that meeting to let them know the hearing is happening. >> Yep. >> The hearing it's not a traditional site plan hearing, right? There's certain
>> It is a site plan. >> I'm sorry. It is, but they they don't look at all of the factors. I I'll lean on you for this. >> So, uh, site plan, uh, is required by the zoning bylaw for new I'm reading directly from,
uh, Gene who's really handling this from Tyen Bond, but, um, they're looking at kind of, uh, the site plan in general, uh, storm water calculations, things of that nature. Um, and that's planned for an April public
meeting. Um we do have to get a um special permit uh with the uh zoning board of appeals um because the building height is greater than um you know in that area. Um also a public hearing in
April of 2026. Um at the same time we'll be uh reaching out for storm water management through the department of public works um and also um the tree warden uh for some of the work especially the off-site work
with the new sidewalk. Um so all of that's going to basically be happening at the same time. >> The dates in April when set >> not yet as soon as they are we'll get them out to everybody. I just want to put that out there that that those are some next steps that are pretty important for the board.
>> I guess what what I was asking before is uh we we have had a lot of talk about that we are not complying with zoning bylaws uh etc. And to my understanding we don't need to because of the do amendment and
so the reviews at the public hearings are more limited than they would be for a purely commercial building. Correct. >> So if anybody's watching and is going to be at that meeting, I think that that that just go with that expectation.
>> Josh, I didn't understand. You said we don't have to be compliant with zoning because >> uh there's a it's called the do amendment. Uh I think it's from 1983. It's a state law that says that towns can only regulate education, religion.
I can't remember. There's another one, Mike. I don't know if you >> um agricultural, religious, educational, childare. >> Oh, like solar. Like there's certain things that the towns can municipalities can only look at. They they can reasonably regulate, but you can't
make it you can't regulate so far that it can't go in. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> It pretty much limits municipal power to prohibit or require special permits for those uses. So planning board will discuss, you know, parking uh site the the massing of
the building like you mentioned with the zoning board for the height. Um but otherwise some of the items that may come up in a traditional saying design for a commercial property may not be as applicable >> because it's in a residential zone and I can't say no it needs to follow residential separate. >> Yeah.
>> I just Armen I just had a thought um and I don't know if this is an issue or not but you know we're just talking a lot about irrigation. for obviously we need wells for geothermal and uh we we may irrigate some of the land around the school.
Um is that going to um contribute to the discussion around the field? >> Shouldn't should have anything to do with the field. >> You don't think people will use that?
the fact that we are putting irrigation in any way will not be an argument. >> Well, it's for the rest of the site. So, I I I can't see that the two are I mean, I don't see the two are connected. I can't say that somebody else might not say they're connected, but >> um
>> I mean, if there was just a huge article within the Boston Herald yesterday about the new stadium they're building in Boston for the women's soccer team, >> and basically it was built as a field, natural grass that the Boston public schools were going to be able to use every day. But the reality of it is that it can be used for game days only. It
cannot be used that much. There's no way that a high school football team can use it every single day or kids football team can use it every day and then be good enough to play women's soccer, national soccer on the weekends once a week. So I >> I'm just concerned. >> Yeah, I I people are always going to
bring up their arguments. I don't disagree with you. I just don't think the two are connected and as long as we, you know, rely upon our experts who are telling us that there's no way that we can maintain that field the way that it should be maintained. I mean, and we had
experts who are against turf tell us, >> right? >> This is the only way that you're going to be able to, you know, have a field that's playable for for kids, >> then I think that that we're good. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I I I I definitely see where you're coming. It's like a lot of irrigation
talk. >> Adam will tell you I was the first when I saw irrigation I'm like what are we watering like >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> We already I mean we already said we're not having the the waterfall garden or whatever. >> Right. Okay. Good. >> The rainard. >> Okay. Good.
>> So our next meeting looks like we're going to be on March 11th uh six o'clock. Uh unless people have an issue that date. March 11th. >> Okay. All right. Then I would entertain a motion to adjurnn.
>> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Roll call. Kate, >> yes. >> John, >> yes. >> Armen, yes. Nicole, >> yes. >> Carissa, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Thank you. We are ajourned. Thanks,
Nicole. You're my hero. Look at this.