HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-11-19Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
Town of Nantucket
Capital Program Committee
www. nantucket -ma. gov
RECEINcD
Members: Phil Stambaugh (Chair), Peter Morrison (Vice - chair), Richard Hussey, (Se -! � ar G �'
John Tiffany, Tobias Glidden, Nat Lowell, Peter McEachern L` 1i ' '
--, ,
MINUTES �,: i r`;< ., C L
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
4 Fairgrounds Road, Training Room — 8:00 am
Called to order at 8:00 a.m.
Staff: Brian Turbitt, Finance Director; Martin Anguelov, Assistant Finance Director; Terry
Norton, Town Minutes Taker
Attending Members: Stambaugh, Morrison, Tiffany, Glidden, Hussey, Lowell, McEachern
Absent Members: None
Late arrival: Lowell 8:01 Glidden 8:03
Documents used: Nantucket Public Schools (NPS) capital project requests.
1. November 12, 2014 adopted by unanimous consent
Presentation Michael Cozort, Superintendent of Schools
Diane O'Neil, Facilities Manager
Dick Webb, Architect SMRT
Discussion Cozort — Reviewed the enrollments by grade data as of October 1. There has been an increase in
enrollment of 325 students in five years; that is significant for a small school district.
Stambaugh — Stated that a lot of people the down turn was due to the recession and now we
have a boom in construction so numbers are up. That could happen again if there is another
recession.
Cozort — Demographic studies are being done to show what the numbers could look like in 20
years. It shows numbers could go up until 2020 then level off.
Stambaugh — Asked why it would level off.
Cozort — There are several limiting factors that affect the school population: housing is a major
reason for drops in enrollment on Nantucket.
NPS already has 4 modular classrooms on the Nantucket Elementary School (NES) site housing
four 5`'' grades. NES has 730 students when it was built to house 550 students. Even if the
numbers drop, the school is housing too many children now; he doesn't see losing 300 students
to a recession. Historically after recessions and drops in numbers the numbers go back up.
Believes there will be the need for another school within the next 20 years if enrollment keeps at
the rate it has been.
Lowell — He said that even if we have another a down turn, we still need to build for the future.
Cozort — Of the 325 students who have arrived in the last 5 years, only about 25 are identified as
English language learning. Every child is affected by having appropriate learning space.
Modular Classroom
O'Neil — The original request was for a "Middle School" modular. At this point with enrollment
up in all schools, NPS doesn't know if it would be used by NES or the Cyrus Peirce Middle
School (CPMS).
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Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
Cozort — The $300,000 is for a 3 -year rental; bringing a modular to the island is very expensive.
NPS did buy the first modular that they rented.
O'Neil — The contract told her that if the schools makes an offer, they will sell the modular; they
don't want to come back to pick it up.
Window replacement
Cozort — This is for the big banks of windows in the Nantucket High School (NHS) and CPMS
that provide light into public spaces. Started that project this year; it is a multi -phase project.
O'Neil — With what was appropriated last year, a contractor was hired to replace all the
mechanisms and to replace the bank of windows behind the main stairwell and have gone to
shaded glass cut down on HVAC costs. The old windows have had to be caulked; a number were
not properly flashed and the affect of that is now evident.
Central Office Modular
Cozort — This is being reassessed. If the new building project gets going admin moves into
existing NES space, he would rather rent office space somewhere on Island during construction
than rent another modular. There are space problems in grades K -12. Moving his offices moving
out of the High School, it provides two classrooms. One thought right now is to move in where
the Community School is on First Way and move them into rental space. His staff would need
between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet (SF).
Discussion about the difficulty of finding rental office space on the island and the potential cost
versus rental of a modular.
Tiffany — Asked what will happening with the Teen Center building.
Cozort — Presently that is housing Community School; they have a presence downtown at 56
Centre Street. They are running some teen programming at the Teen Center out of the building
and in the schools as well. It would be a good central location for the Superintendent's office.
Once the new school is built, Community School would move into NES.
Morrison — Asked what would happen to the modulars once they are owned.
O'Neil — It is expensive to move those around; they require foundations and hook up to heating,
plumbing, utilities, and fire alarms.
Lowell — We have the capability to move those around; the cost of setting up is more of a
concern than finding someone to take it or someone to move it.
O'Neil — The contractor for the crane to lift one is $10,000.
Cozort — Proximity to the schools for his office is important to him.
Morrison — Last year a comment was made about the impetus to fund pre -K at the national
level.
Cozort — Said he will come back to that when reviewing the new school designs. They are
planning for that.
Backus Lane Athletic Storage Building
Cozort — He already has some appropriation that allowed moving forward with the design; this
request would allow construction. This would allow storage to move out of the schools and
provide bathrooms to the athletic complex. Storage in the schools right now is at a premium;
rooms planned for storage are being used for tutoring rooms, the school psychologist, the speech
therapist, etc. Also, storage space is the first cut in attempting to keep down the cost of new
construction.
Webb — This building foot print is about 1,000 SF, so the two floors would provide about 2,000
SF of storage plus the lower bay.
Stambaugh — Asked if there might be an additional use for this building as opposed to just
storage and bathrooms.
Cozort — There was talk about moving the athletic director there; that would create a physical
disconnect between him and the students. Talked about moving Facilities over there, but he and
Ms O'Neil are interacting hourly.
Glidden — Asked what the total cost would be.
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Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
Cozort - $275,000. Right now, this is an uninsulated concrete shell.
Lowell — Stated his belief that the deed restriction issue going on in the area is going to change
but it takes a long time to shift the mindset. Looking at each privately owned property, the
schools might want to be ready to buy it when it comes up for sale.
O'Neil — Already looking at a possible Land Bank land swap; an article is being put together to
allow school to move forward with that. Suggested also doing an article that would give the
school permission to go forward with purchasing land should a piece of property come up for
sale.
NES Generator
Cozort — NES is not the emergency shelter, the NHS is; but NES could provide a second shelter
in the case of a terrible event. From the school perspective, the existing generator only provides
lighting; it does not support the freezers or heating.
O'Neil — This generator would be removed from the building and the new one would be a self -
contained shelter outside.
Lowell — The existing generator still has value and another municipal use could be found for it.
New Intermediate - grrades School
Cozort — The question Why has been answered through the increase in enrollment; many people
in the community get that. The big question is how much. Reviewed the site plan. The new
school would house grades 3 -5 and be placed in what is now the NES parking lot. Reviewed
alternative sitings and why they were rejected. Traffic flow and parking are considered in locating
the school in an effort to keep traffic off Surfside Road. If the rotary at Bartlett Road goes in,
they might want to relocate the entrance into the elementary school complex.
Lowell — The School Committee stopped the other roundabout from happening. There is a
traffic circulation for the area from Sparks Avenue through Surfside Road, Hooper Farm Road,
and First Way. He believes First Way will get paved with a sidewalk and that Backus Lane will cut
through. There will be some improvement at Bartlett Road of at least a turning lane.
Cozort — Reviewed discussions about traffic flow in regards to drop- off /pick -up of students. He
doesn't want to derail support for a new school be people who don't want "this or that ".
However, he feels it still needs to be discussed.
Webb — Looking at how some potential future options play into immediate proposal and need.
They are trying to set the table to work with that in the future.
Glidden — Asked if the ice rink parking will integrate with the school
Cozort — NPS has had an agreement with the ice rink: elementary parents use their parking for
drop- off /pick -up of students, they use NES parking for events. For drop- off /pick -up, NPS is
considering building an access road over to the middle school without ever going back onto
Surfside Road.
Webb — Stated the design is trying to provided internal circulation and keeps vehicles from going
on and off Surfside Road; this would be gated.
Cozort — This access road would be one way and only during drop -off and pick -up. It is not
missing the traffic. It would be gated. That is a critical piece.
Glidden — Asked what percentage of parents drop off children.
Cozort — Because the schools are so close, there is a culture of "drop-off" on the Island. 70% of
the parents drive their kids to school.
Webb — There are two movements for parents: the classic drop off and leave; the other is park
and walk child to the door, which is proportionately greater. This happens both in the morning
and afternoon.
Cozort — For the new school, NPS will create the expectation of drop- off /pick -up without
walking the child into the school. He does not expect to change that for NES.
In this project, there is also an addition to the middle school wing connecting to the NHS wood
shop.
Hussey — Asked how long before the need to enlarge NHS and CPMS.
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Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
Cozort — Said he is trying to get land to expand fields in anticipation of a new middle school
going into the playing field adjacent to NES. NHS would be the entire plant.
Webb — This plan incorporates some of the plans for athletic fields.
Cozort — Taking a step back, the fields are not part of this project; this is not the time to go
forward with fields when there is a greater need for classroom space. This just shows a vision of
the future.
Discussion about cleaning up the presentation to eliminate any references to the playing fields
upgrade yet indicated future adaptations.
Cozort — Reviewed the preliminary layout of the new 2 -story 3 -5 intermediate school. Ground
floor to be about 50,000 SF with total of about 70,000 SF. He wants to be sensitive to cost yet
have a structure that allows for future growth. This will have 7 classrooms for each grade and a
cluster within each grade pod.
Stambaugh — The site plan shows and ell shape and the board Mr. Cozort is using shows a box.
Webb — The ell shape fits the site better. The interior is continually being refined to fit the ell
shape.
Tiffany — He questions the size based upon statistic provided by the school's expert. In his
experience, planning for anything more than five years out is a wild guess. Building for 20 years
out is "crazy."
Cozort — With the existing school, he is planning for universal pre - school for four -year olds
within 5 to 10 years. That is one reason to move the Community School into NES where they
operate the Early Childhood Program for 1 -3 year olds; it makes sense to have them there in their
first school. He would move his offices in as well.
Stambaugh — Said that 1' /z year olds are already starting school at their day -care. Small Friends
plays a huge role as a school for working parents; it is struggling. What they are doing should be
part of the schools.
Cozort — One thought for space vacated by the moving 3 -5 out of NES would be to provide
space for a community day care; another thought is behavioral health. By the time the new school
is built and opened, about December 2017 or January 2018, he doesn't know exactly what space
will be available. Flexibility is built into the structure's space allocation.
Morrison — There is overwhelming evidence that indicating pre- school is the best investment
that can be made for children. He envisions a synergetic affect; when working parents bring their
kids to this successful community institution at the beginning of childhood, retention rates will
grow and attraction increase. That will spur enrollment.
Tiffany — In regards to building flexibility into the design, he suggested movable partitions or
portable walls so that interior rooms can change.
Cozort — He pointed out something missing that he feels speaks to that point: there are no
computer labs proposed. There will be one -to -one computing, each child will have a device to
take from class to class. The new building would be 2 stories; NES can't go up.
O'Neil — Portable walls can't be used for classrooms because of the noise; they don't absorb
noise.
Cozort — Reviewed plans to move the CPMS woodshop to connect with NHS woodshop. That
opens two more classrooms and the addition would be for four new classrooms; also the idea is
to build the addition so that it can go up and allow for four more classrooms.
Discussion about utilizing basement space in the schools to open up above - ground classroom
space, recycling buildings, and maintaining the campus.
Glidden — Mr. Cozort's thoughts behind the new building more valuable than the plans. Pointed
out that '/3 of the cost for a new building is the roof; the basement is the cheapest. Encourages
making the basement space nice and highly useable. There is a benefit for everyone, including the
summer people, for having this school on Nantucket, he says make sure it is a nice building and
don't cut corners so that it is a great place for children to learn.
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Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
Cozort — The 70,000 SF new school and the 10,000 SF CPMS addition will cost $40M to $45M.
O'Neil — This figure presented today is all-in; it includes the design, the owner project manager
(OPM), and construction.
Cozort — If he had the luxury of time, he would have come forward with a request for funds for
the design; NPS can't wait beyond April to get this going.
Glidden — Likes the way this is being done as one package.
Stambaugh — People are going to look at the cost for the new school and compare it to the cost
of the police station, which was $15.5M.
Cozort — This new school is more than twice the size; Mass School Building Authority drives the
design requirements.
Discussion about the cost for three schools built on the mainland in the past three years and
availability of MSCA money. The queue is 115 long and only 10 applicants will receive funding.
Discussion about the public information campaign.
Morrison — Feels it should be recognize the broad degree of discretion of the amount of money
a community wants to invest in its children. He likes what he's heard about how much Nantucket
is willing to invest relative to other communities. He would like to go on record as saying we have
struck the right in terms of what is needed for the future and how it is positioned to
accommodate the unknowns of the future.
Cozort — He offered out the tax impact of a $40M project on a $1M home is $133 a year.
Lowell — This is the elephant in the room issue. How do you tell the public it isn't costing them
anything? Said Mr. Cozort should talk about the debt service interest rate right now and the land
reuse. With what's going on with the hospital, the public is very engaged in "dirt" use. The
schools are using the land they already have and that is huge. Asked if it was possible to split this
project up for two town meetings: Annual Town Meeting (ATM) in the spring and Special Town
Meeting in the fall. This will turn into a public hearing at ATM.
O'Neil — They looked at separating the design and OPM costs ...
Tiffany — He prefers they go forward they way they are, the whole package.
Hussey — With the debt exclusion, it becomes a two -step hurdle: town meeting and a ballot vote.
There really is no other way to finance this project other than debt exclusion.
Cozort — He should have a definitive cost by January.
O'Neil — It is difficult to have a total cost since they don't have a finalized design.
Stambaugh — It is important to have a figure by the scheduled CapCom presentation to the
Finance Commission on Dec 17.
1. Free Cash: Hussey — In regards to free cash, it is broken up in General and Enterprise funds. Asked why
the Airport won't take their capital request against $1.8 retained earnings. Turbitt — The Airport
Commission could decide to use it for funding. $750,000 is almost half their retained earnings, which is a
lot for an entity with their financial history. Tiffany — Finance Commission will look at that very carefully;
the question of potential Town subsidy for their FY2016 plan, there will be pressure on the Airport to
minimize that subsidy. Turbitt — The Town is in the process of finalizing the agreement with the Airport
for them to repay the Town. That money will go into a Town revenue account the certified as free cash
for use the following year.
2. General Fund: Stambaugh — Set up a formula of 50% toward capital and 25% to General funds and 25%
to a reserve fund. That didn't happen. Turbitt — Last year the Town used $1M for the stabilization
account, about $1.25M went to Capital and other articles, and $188,000 was voted to be funded as part of
the operating budget. Finance is still working through recommendations for use of the money.
Stambaugh — As we get closer to the final number on all these projects, the role of Cinder McNerney,
First Southwest, comes into play. Turbitt — He sent the original plan off to Ms McNerney for the
modeling of a worse -case scenario; once that is done they can talk about potential smoothing methods.
Explained why trying to project the impact on the tax rate 5 years out is very difficult. Right now, the
modeling is using 4.5% interest rate but that could change over 5 years. Explained that "smoothing" is
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Minutes for November 19, 2014, adopted Dec. 3
mitigating impact on the tax rate over the course of the debt. Tiffany — The biggest resistance to a long
term plan is the claim that one can't predict what will happen in 5 or 10 year. Without a plan, the long-
term plan is to be reactive. Morrison — The only thing he asks of modeling is to look at a plausible way to
finance all the projects.
3. General discussion about the schools, private schools and parking around the elementary school.
4. Sewers: Glidden — Suggested committee members looking at the executive summary in the CWMP. Not
everything has to be done now and some things have to be planned for and some things won't need to
happen. Madaket sewer will happen. Sewer to Shimmo and Monomoy maybe. Explained the need to
address use of fertilizers, sewers /septic, and storm run -off from impervious surfaces to reduce nitrite
into the harbors.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014, 8:00 a.m. at 4 Fairgrounds Road, Training Room
Adjourned: 10:15 a.m.
Submitted by:
Terry L. Norton
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