DRESDEN SCHOOL BOARD and DRESDEN ATHLETIC FIELDS COMMITTEE
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005
7:00 P.M., HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Minutes- Approved
Present: Board members Carter, Chamberlin, Cheney, Fleischer, Gray, Kaplan, Pilchman, Sachsse, Vitt; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Gillespie, Brush, Jackson; Council Representative Creighton; Dresden Athletic Fields Committee members Parsonett, Krass, Campagna, Polli, Brown, Harwick; and seven members of the public. Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to order
Chair Cheney called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Introductions were made and Chair Cheney outlined the purpose of the meeting. Ms. Cheney indicated that the final details of the bond will be proposed at the next Board meeting scheduled for September 27. The vote is scheduled for November 8.
2. Athletic Fields Bond Vote Discussion
Barry Harwick, a member of the Dresden Athletic Committee’s Design-Build Subcommittee, reviewed the process for selecting a design/build firm. The committee interviewed six prospective bidders, received responses from four of those firms, and selected two of the bidders to return for a follow-up interview. The parameters of selection included a submission that approximated the projected $3 million budget and demonstrated experience and staffing necessary to complete the project within the requested timeline.
John Aubin reviewed the proposed overall budget for the fields’ project that included the bidders’ quote plus an owner’s contingency of 8 percent. Mr. Aubin then shared information on the tax impact computed by subtracting the Merriman funds ($250,000), Vermont construction aid ($297,000 +/-), and $100,000 of donations from the overall budget. Mr. Aubin indicated he would wait six months to a year before borrowing for the projects so that donations, contingency amounts and other details can be incorporated into the final bond amount. He reported that to date the SAU has received roughly $56,000 in donations. A formal solicitation campaign will be initiated once the project details are finalized.
The Board and Committee members discussed the amount of contingency. In response to a questions from the Board, John Aubin indicated that the contingency for the fields was smaller than the contingency for the school projects because the fields project is more modest and the architectural costs are incorporated in the design/build firm costs. He also noted that much of the permitting has already been completed so fewer unanticipated costs are expected. It was suggested that since the design-build firms had likely incorporated a contingency in the proposal, owner’s contingency could be reduced or eliminated. Board members suggested that the respective town finance committees review the plan for budget and taxpayer allocations.
Jonathan Brush urged the Board to retain the contingency noting that rulings on the minor wetlands associated with the hockey field, the Norwich Design Review Board’s perspective of the larger multipurpose field, the Hanover Zoning Board’s reaction to the lights at the fields, and drainage details and the needed soil/fill for the project might require unbudgeted expenditures.
When asked about the long term prognosis for athletic fields, Superintendent Gersen reported that he met with the town boards to validate assumptions about the shared field use in Hanover and Norwich. In 2009, Thompson Terrace scheduling will be controlled by Hanover but it will still be available to Dresden after the Town of Hanover’s needs are fulfilled. There are no problems with the high school’s continued use of the fields in Norwich. He noted that Hanover is integrating field facilities into future housing developments. Wayne Gersen expressed confidence that the present fields plan will meet the long term needs of the District.
The Athletic Fields Committee planned to meet and compare the project details and bid proposals with its original assumptions. Some discussions will involve for example, the cost of lighting where the bid was 158 percent above the expected cost. There was also a discussion about the synthetic field replacement cost and how to account for that future expense.
3. Adjournment
Nancy Carter moved and John Chamberlin seconded a motion to adjourn at 8:40 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
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