Building committee updates roof, HVAC and fields work; early bids and grants noted
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Summary
The school committee received a detailed update from the building committee on MSBA‑related roof and HVAC work, field renovations and related contracts, including OPM selection, consultant fees, change orders and identified grants to offset costs.
Jay, representing the building committee, updated the school committee on progress in several capital projects, including the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) roof project, HVAC and energy management work, and athletic field renovations.
The nut graf: the project teams submitted schematic documents to MSBA and expect MSBA action in December; construction documents are scheduled for January with construction likely to begin next spring or summer. The committee reviewed consultant contracts, change orders and identified two external funding offsets: a state earmark for a building key‑card system and a Mendon Green Communities grant for energy work.
Jay said the schematic package for the MSBA roof project was due at the end of the month and that MSBA reviews and acts on submissions in December. He said construction documents should be ready in January and the district planned an early release for HVAC equipment procurement because of long lead times. The team is coordinating energy‑management system work (including heat‑pump rebates) and reviewing rooftop pad sizing so new equipment fits existing conditions. Jay said the contract with CIVITEX (the design architect under MSBA) currently covers schematic design only; the district had budgeted roughly $900,000 for the architect overall but the schematic‑phase contract to date was about $120,000. The OPM contract is complete at about $402,000 versus a budgeted $722,000.
On fields, Jay said Bead and Associates presented fees totaling about $1,100,000 while the district budgeted roughly $1,000,000 for fields; he said offsets were expected from other project fees. He noted several change orders on the HVAC/energy management project (for example, isolation valves to avoid draining an entire hydronic loop and wiring exhaust fans), estimating the overall change‑order exposure within available contingencies and saying the projects were generally tracking within the capital budget.
Jay also reported a state earmark of $125,000 for a key‑card access system for all four buildings (initial quotes were older and may be higher now) and a Mendon Green Communities grant of approximately $149,000 that will offset energy‑management costs.
The committee discussed OPM (owner’s project manager) finalists and planned interviews; Jay said the list had been narrowed and interviews were being scheduled. Committee members asked several technical questions about the energy management and control systems; Jay and facilities staff explained thermostats can sense occupancy and that classroom thermostats are currently disabled for local adjustment and will be controlled centrally.
Ending: Work will continue through the design phase; the building committee and project teams will return with updates on MSBA decisions, final costs and the OPM selection process.
