HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-06-23 Board of Public Works Minutes June 23, 1980
' Meeting of the Board of Public Works convened in Room 16,
Municipal Building at 7: 30 P . M.
Present were Secretary Wood, Board Members DeHart , Fallon,
Barker and Superintendent Louanis and Finance Committee Member
Linscott .
In the absence of Chairman Cowell , Mrs. Wood assumed the Chair
and called the meeting to order .
Mr . Fallon moved, it was seconded and voted 4:0 to table
action on the minutes of the meetings of June 16th and 19th.
Chairman Cowell joined the meeting following his meeting
with the Law Committee in the Selectmen ' s Office .
The Board reviewed bids for various materials starting with
Manhole and Catch Basin Castings. It was moved , and seconded
that the contract for Manhole and Catch Basin Castings be awarded
to LeBaron in the amount of $8 ,915 .00. Mr . Fallon requested that
inasmuch as the only other bid received was from Neenah Foundry
Company in the amount of $7,800.00 the Board vote in the nega-
tive on the motion. Superintendent Louenis stated that neither
bidder met the specifications perfectly but LeBaron met them
more closely . Mr . Barker questioned whether construction would
be hampered if both bids were rejected and the material bid again
and Mrs. Wood questioned whether the award of the contract could be
broken up. The Superintendent stated progress on construction
would be affected somewhat and that the award of the contract could
not be divided . Chairman Cowell called for a vote - 2:3 the motion
lost . Mr . Fallon moved the contract be awarded to Neenah Foundry, the
low bidder, in the amount of $7,800.00. There was no second. Mrs.
Wood moved to reject all bids and rebid for Manhole and Catch Basin
Castings. It was seconded and voted.
Mrs . Wood retired from the meeting to attend a meeting of the
Recreation Committee .
Bids were received on June 12, 1960 for Crack Sealing Bitum-
' inous Concrete Surfaces, as follows:
Seal-Best Company, Abington , Ma. . . . . . . . . $ 7,760.00
Sealcoating, Inc. , Hingham, Me. . . . . . . . . . 11,056.25
The Engineering Division reported that while Seal-Best Co. has
been involved in this aspect of construction for less than four
years a qualification check indicated they were sufficiently ,
qualified and have the required equipment and manpower to com-
plete the work as required . It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0: 1
to award Contract 80-7 Crack Sealing Bituminous Concrete to Seal-
Best Company, Abington, Massachusetts in the amount of $7,760.00
subject to their ability to provide proper performance and payment
bonds .
Bids were received on June 17., 1980 on Contract 80-14 - In-
spection and Sealing of Sanitary Sewer Mains as follows:
Commercial Pipe Cleaning Company . . . . . . . . . $ 7, 271.00
Eastern Pipe Service , Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 292.70
New England Pipe Cleaning Company . . . . . . . . 12, 303.00
Engineers Estimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,000.00
Penetryn System, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,411.40
Video Pipe Grouting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,890.00
Following a brief discussion it was moved , seconded and voted
4:0 : 1 to award Contract 80-14 Inspection and Sealing of Sanitary
Sewer Mains to Commercial Pipe Cleaning Company in the amount of
$7,271.00 subject to their ability to furnish proper performance ,
and payment bonds.
Copy of memorandum from Deputy Fire Chief Cail to Board Mem-
ber Barker was distributed to the Board. (copy appended hereto)
Mr . Barker had indicated his interest in signal cable installation
from the Board of Public Works Garage to the Police Station to the
Chief of the Fire Department feeling that closer lines of communi-
cation would facilitate overtime work. However, in view of the
cost figures he stated he did not think that the matter was econom-
ically feasible . Chairman Cowell stated the concept has considerable
merit but agreed with Mr. Barker ' s comment concerning the economical
aspect . It was moved , seconded and voted 4:0: 1 to accept the sub-
ject as a point of information to be forwarded to the Selectmen for
their perusal .
Read letter from Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Murley of 1 Fairmount -
Road concerning lose of shrubbery when Hopkins Street was widened .
Superintendent Louanis stated that Hopkins Street was widened , the
work done by the State as a Chapter 90 program and it is always ,
difficult to make certain that all abutters are content with the
final result as it is a long and involved procedure with several
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hearings each resulting in changes to the original proposal . The
Superintendent agreed that the 2-1 slope will be difficult to main-
tain and that perhaps something should be done , but he felt the
Board should keep in mind that others in the area will be unhappy
also and should look at the situation with the idea of spending
the least amount of money to make the area attractive. It was
moved , seconded and voted 4:0: 1 to instruct the Superintendent or
his designee to contact Mr . and Mrs. Murley in reference to plant-
ing shrubs and placing appropriate ground cover and wood chips an
the side slope in question .
Chairman Cowell stated we have a request from the Executive
Secretary to review the revised preliminary flood insurance rate map
and report to the Selectmen before the end of the month. The Super-
intendent gave a brief summary of the map and painted out that the
flood map has three general classifications: A - being the highest
risk area for flooding where extensive property damage and possible
loss of life might occur based on a one hundred year storm. B -
based on a five hundred year storm frequency where flooding could
occur 6" to a foot deep. This general area fell substantially within
the wetland district of the Town and C which would experience some
minor flooding for a short duration. The latest revised map adds
more of the Town in the flood plain zone. After considerable dis-
cussion it was moved , seconded and voted to inform the Selectmen that
the Board felt the map adequately represented potential flood areas
and should be used for the flood program only.
Chairman Cowell proposed that the Draft Report on Improvements
to the Water Treatment Plant be reviewed by the Board section by sec-
tion .
Section 1 - Water Supply Requirements The Board was in general
agreement with the population projection and the per capita con-
sumption trend and therefore agreed a realistic maximum daily capa-
city of 6,000,000 gallons should be approved .
Section 2 - Groundwater Resources - The Board was in general agree-
ment that the present well field was within the range of 3 .2 to 4
' mgd although some confusion existed as to when the Town should in-
vestigate the Mill Meadow and Cedar Swamp areas for additional supply .
The Superintendent stated this work should not begin until after
the treatment plant had been reconstructed except for the possibility
of replacing existing tubular wells at one hundred acre meadow. '
Section 3 - Existing Treatment Facilities - This section adequately
discloses the existing facilities except for a typographical error 1
on page 31, where a sentence reads, "Caustic soda is stored in a I,700
gallon bulk storage tank, etc." It should read, "stored in a 5,000
gallon , etc ' .
Mrs . Wood rejoined the meeting following a meeting with the Re-
creation Committee at 9: 35 P.M.
Section 4 - Water Treatment Studies and Section 5 - Organic Chemicals
It was generally agreed that these sections had covered the possible
treatment alternatives but lacked an actual cost comparison of those
alternatives. One alternative which was not addressed in this sec-
tion was the possibility of Reading obtaining all or a portion of
its water from the M. D. C. supply and the related costs associated
with it . All of the alternative treatment possibilities should be
costed out against the Town of Reading ' s present treatment costs .
Section 6 - Recommended Improvements to Treatment Facilities - In
general the Board was in agreement with the proposed recommeneed ,
improvement and favored Alternative 3 - new plant instrumentation
and control equipment and new automatic filter control system. How-
ever , Mr . Fallon was opposed to the proposed standby power on the
grounds that past experience had indicated that power failures were
of a limited nature and occurred very infrequently. He felt $90,000 .
for standby power was not in the best economic interest of the Town.
After considerable discussion it was generally agreed that a majority
of the Board considered the standby power should be included in the
proposed modification to the treatment plant. Mr. Barker and Mr.
DeHart wished to be recorded in favor of the standby power for the
new treatment plant. There was general agreement among the Board
that the handicap facilities were not required and a waiver should
be obtained from the Architectural Barrier Board. Mr. Fallon also
expressed a desire to reduce the overall size of the addition by
eliminating if possible the men and women' s locker room and the
lunch room. He also felt it was not necessary to provide a bacteria
laboratory since this work could be done by the State or at an out. ,
side laboratory and the existence of a bacteria laboratory might
mandate additional manpower to operate the plant in the future . The
Board was in general agreement that the size of the locker roams might
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Minutes - continuedJune 23, 1980
' be reduced but the majority Board stated the bacteria
laboratory was necessary .
Section 7 - Estimated Costs for Recommended Facilities - The Board
reviewed the proposed total of the project ($2, 500,000) and accepted
it as the best estimate at this time .
It was agreed that Camp Dresser and McKee be invited to the
meeting of June 30th at 8:00 P .M. to discuss the report with the
Board with a recommendation that the Superintendent inform Camp
Dresser and McKee of the Board ' s concerns so that they might be in
a better position to respond to the Board' s concerns.
The Board signed the following :
Payroll for .the period ending June 20, 1980
Bill Roll dated June 27, 1980
It was moved, seconded and voted to sign commitment letter
covering sewer house connections in the amount of $240.00 in com-
pliance with the provisions of the General Laws, Chapter 80 as
' amended by Chapter 63 of the Acts of 1933.
Meeting adjourned at 11:00 P . M.
Resp ctfully submitted,
Secretary
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