Board of Trustee Minutes

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF BLOOMFIELD
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Study Session
September 6, 2007

PRESENT: Supervisor Payne, Clerk Roncelli, Treasurer Devine; Trustees Stefanes, Buckley, Barnett, and Savoie

Also present, Police Chief Bowden, Fire Chief Chartier, Tom Trice, Public Works Director, Christine Tvaroha, Senior Services Director, Wayne Domine, Engineering & Environmental Director, Gayle Sadler, IT Director, Ray Perkins, Finance Director, Tom Marchesano, Capital Building Program Manager, John Argenta, Project Architect, CDPA, Louis Margitan, Project Architect, CDPA, Jim Pappas, Project Architect, Fusco, Shaffer and Pappas, Dennis Smith, Construction Manager, Auch Construction

Capital Building Program Update:

The presentation reviewed the project scope and budget. At the meeting on July 24, 2007, there were concerns regarding the renovations being proposed to the central fire station. Several meetings were conducted with the bonding attorney and administration. It was determined that the lower level of the fire station would be refurbished and the upper level completely rebuilt.

DPW Building:

The proposed renovation has been reviewed with staff members and appears to be a viable solution. The building was reconfigured into an "L" shape due to bad soil and it was decided that the building footprint would be smaller, but there would be no compromise on function.

The second level was removed and these rooms were moved to the basement. This enabled a two-story building to become one-story with a partial basement, which saved money.

The cell tower will be maintained and will stay in service;this will eliminate sequencing traumas while work is being done which will be cost effective.

The Emergency Operating Center (EOC) was relocated to the basement of the DPW building instead of the central fire station. The garage will hold 35 large trucks and also additional vehicles in the middle if necessary. Also, six heavy-duty repair bays with three lifts and three light duty bays will be housed in the garage.

Parts of the existing DPW building will be kept. There will still be ample parking and adequate ingress/egress access.

Improvements for the police parking lot include paving and carports.

The Road department will be renovated for grounds equipment. Documentstorage will be moved to the upper level and storage of election records will be moved downstairs. The tower equipment room will remain with existing parts to be refurbished.

Central Fire Station:

Storage remains a major issue with the current fire station design. Storage rooms, a workroom and EMS storage will be added to the upper level. The administration offices are very small as a stairway prevents good circulation. The proposed design will move the stairway, which will allow for the two assistant chiefs’ offices to be the same size. The conference room and administrative assistant’s office will be moved. A patio will be added to the living area. Stairs, doors and windows will be added to the hose tower to allow for adequate training.

Renovations to the lower level will improve circulation on this floor. There will be increased room for the Fire Marshal and inspectors. The current garage will now be the training room and new roofs will be installed. There will be restrooms on the upper and lower levels.

Senior Services:

The new design proposes an access point off Andover, across from the Echo Park entrance.

The Senior Services parking lot and the 48th District Court parking lot will be separated by a gate, which can be opened to allow for additional parking during special events. The gate would be controlled by the Senior Center.

The new two-story building will be constructed on the south side of the Township campus. The lower level will serve as the active function area – fitness room, pool, and locker rooms. Patios will be on this level off the exercise rooms.

The upper level (main floor) will have two central points of access and the pool area will be viewable from this floor. The "Meals on Wheels" program will also have a separate entrance with a kitchen warming area. There will be two large activity rooms that are designed for many uses. The senior day care will also be located on this level. The day care will have a separate entrance, activities area and outside area that is secure. The building will contain as much glass as possible on the southern side, providing a view of the woods and wetlands.

The alternate plans for the Senior Services building moved the fitness equipment to the middle of the walking track which increased its size. The fitness rooms were relocated and a single open stairway was created instead of an enclosed stairwell.

Operating costs were discussed in regards to bigger buildings having larger utility bills. These costs will be incorporated into the department’s budget. Utility costs have not been an issue in the past. Currently the DPW and central fire station buildings lose a lot of energy due to old HVAC units and poor insulation. The renovated buildings will alleviate these concerns. The new DPW building will have more windows, which will assist with lighting issues during the day.

There are three categories that make up the Owners Direct Costs: 1) Architects and engineers 2) Furniture and computer costs 3) County fees, moving, temporary trailers for housing, construction utilities, pre-construction services, Capital Building Program Manger services, insurance, document printing, soil boring, hazardous materials, project construction costs and bond costs.

The project is almost three million dollars short of the program budget. There are five areas from where this money could be extracted:

Bond counsel advised the Board to sell the 26 million dollars in bonds all at once if within a 26-month period.

It was determined that it is best to construct the police rifle range now as opposed to later when cost would be higher. Also, Westview Fire Station construction would start now, but the other buildings would not begin until Spring 2008. This will reduce winter construction costs.

MOTION by Barnett and SUPPORT by Stefanes to APPROVE the Schematic Design Project as Presented.

Ayes: Barnett, Buckley, Devine, Payne, Roncelli, Savoie, Stefanes

Nays: None

Meeting adjourned at 10:05 a.m.

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