HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01-08 ad Hoc - Killam School Building Committee MinutesallTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Permanent Building Committee
TfJdYN� CLQ K
a F'n(p?' N G I Wli A.
2024 JAN 23 AH 7: 52
Killam School Building Committee
Date: 2024-01-08 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Carla Nazzaro, Vice Chair Karen Gately Herrick, Ed Ross (remote),
Greg Stepler, Pat Tompkins, Nancy Twomey
Members - Not Present:
John Coote, Kirk McCormick, Sarah McLaughlin
Others Present:
Acting Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Killam School Principal Lindsey Fulton,
School Superintendent Thomas Milaschewski (remote), School Director of
Finance Derek Pinto (remote), Facilities Director Joe Huggins (remote),
Assistant Director of Facilities Kevin Cabuzzi (remote), Director of
Operations Jayne Wellman, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom
(remote), Colllers Project Director Mike Carroll, Colliers Project Manager
Suzanna Yeung (remote), LBA Architect Leigh Sherwood, LBA Project
Manager Jenni Katajamaki, Bill Bullock - RMLD, Tom 011ila - RMLD (remote),
Molly Pike - RMLD (remote)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held in-person in the Conference Room of Town Hall, and remotely via
Zoom.
Chair Carla Nazzaro called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm.
Roll call attendance: Ed Ross (remote), Karen Gately Herrick, Greg Stepler, Pat Tompkins,
Nancy Twomey, Carla Nazzaro.
Not present: Kirk McCormick, Sarah McLaughlin, John Coote.
KSBC Member Reports
Carla Nazzaro stated that the Executive Leadership Team will have their kickoff meeting
with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) tomorrow, January 10'^ at 9:30
am. There will also be a Killam Community meeting this Thursday, January 11th at 5:15 pm
in the Killam Cafeteria, which all KSBC members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
LBA held a similar meeting with Killam teachers last week to gather input on what they
would like In a new building. The Executive Leadership Team began work with Designer
Lavallee Brensinger Architects (LBA) well before the holidays. Executive Leadership Team
meetings will be held every two weeks, and KSBC meetings will happen every two weeks
alternating with the Executive Leadership Meetings.
LBA Amendments 1 through 5
Page 1 1
Colliers Project Manager Suzanna Yeung presented the five amendments to the LEA contract
that were reviewed and signed off by former Town Manager Fidel Maltez and by Colliers.
The amendments include: land survey, traffic study and consulting, hazardous materials
consulting, phase 1 ESA and soil sampling, and geotechnical services.
The Committee will vote on the amendments at the next meeting. Any future amendments
will be brought to the Committee for a vote before any signoffs.
Funds for these services were not Included in the $850,000 designer contract, but are
included in the $2.2 million allocated for the Klllam feasibility study, and are reimbursable
expenses.
LBA: Desianer Update
LBA Project Manager Jenni Katajamaki provided an update on what they have accomplished
since beginning their work In early December including: developed a detailed schedule and
work plan for the feasibility study and schematic design; developed a detailed work plan for
educational visioning; hosted the first project charter meeting with Killam staff and
scheduled a project charter meeting for the whole community for later this week; engaged
all the basic services consultants such as structural engineer, civil engineer, and landscape
architect; and received some existing conditions documents from the town. Ms. Katajamaki
and Principal Architect Leigh Sherwood presented a broad overview project schedule that
included: feasibility study, submissions to MSBA, approvals by MSBA, town vote, and
construction timeline.
The Committee discussed the scheduling of a special election. Ms. Nazzaro explained that
the Select Board would include a debt exclusion Article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
for April 2025. The Town Charter states that votes do not take effect until seven days after
the conclusion of Town Meeting, then the Town Clerk gives 35 days' notice for a special
election. If Town Meeting ends after four nights on May 8, 2025, the special election could
be scheduled at the end of June. Nancy Twomey suggested that a Special Town Meeting
could be called at the start of Annual Town Meeting on April 28, 2025, and the special
election could be held 35 days after the conclusion of that Special Town Meeting.
LBA Architect Leigh Sherwood provided an overview of the feasibility study work plan, which
included the preliminary design program and preferred schematic report. He reviewed the
plan to establish the Project Charter, gather information on sustalnabllity and educational
planning, conduct a site survey, conduct a traffic study and recommendations, assess
existing conditions, plan for programming, develop alternatives, and consistently engage
with the community and the Committee throughout the process.
Over the next two weeks, LBA's next steps will include: attending the MSBA kickoff meeting
with the Executive Leadership team tomorrow, beginning educational vision with shadowing
at Klllam and touring other recent MSBA schools, hosting a community meeting, and
assessing Killam's existing conditions. The week of the 22"d, LBA will report their findings to
the KSBC, host another community meeting, conduct a site survey, and continue with
ongoing Executive Leadership Team meetings.
Discuss and Assian Members to Workina Groups
Educational Leadership Team
The Educational Leadership Team (EdLT) includes Superintendent Tom Milaschewski, Killam
Principal Lindsey Fulton, Facilities Director Joe Huggins, and three teachers and
paraprofessionals who work at the school. This working group has started working with a
special consultant and is progressing forward. Committee Member Sarah McLaughlin will
also attend when she can.
Sustainability
The Sustainability Working Group will meet once a month for the rest of the year, then
quarterly for the second year. This group typically consists of about eight people, including
two from the designer, one of which is an energy consultant, and six from the district.
Page 1 2
Suggested members include Superintendent Dr. Milaschewski and Facilities Director Joe
Huggins. Volunteers for this group include Committee members Greg Stepler, Karen Gately
Herrick, Nancy Twomey, and John Coote, as well as Bill Bullock of RMLD, and Molly Pike of
RMID. The Committee agreed to also include a member of the Climate Advisory
Committee.
4ommunicanons
The Communications Working group will meet every two weeks. Recommended members
include Superintendent Dr. Milaschewski, Principal Lindsey Fulton, and "the person who
knows a lot of people". Committee members Karen Gately Herrick, Carla Nazzaro, and Ed
Ross, and Director of Operations Jayne Wellman volunteered for the Communications
Working Group. Principal Lindsey Fulton noted that the school and the district have already
been working on communication with families and neighbors.
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team (ExLT) is already established and includes Chair Carla
Nauaro, Vice Chair Karen Gately Herrick, Acting Town Manager Matt Kraunelis,
Superintendent Tom Milaschewski, Designer LBA, Owner's Project Manager Colliers, Principal
Lindsey Fulton, and Facilities Director Joe Huggins. ExLT meetings will be held biweekly on
the weeks alternating the biweekly KSBC meetings.
Website Proposals
Suzanna Yeung stated that she received two website proposals, one from Boston Web
Designers, and one from Mandlle Web Design. She presented the proposed figures for
initial setup, hosting, monthly updates at approximately eight hours per month, and
optional social media management, and compared those to Colliers internal rates. Ms.
Yeung continued to compare the two companies and noted that Boston Web Designers does
have experience with MSBA project websites, and the owner has a connection who could
assist with a separate "Yes for Killam" campaign.
Jayne Wellman expressed concern about communication being fragmented, and suggested
that the Communications team take a deeper dive into the website and social media
services. Ms. Yeung will get further information from both companies on social media
management, and will share it with the Communications Team so they can make a
recommendation to the KSBC.
Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
On a motion by Karen Gately Herrick, seconded by Greg Stepler, the Killam School
Building Committee voted 5-0-1 to approve the meeting minutes of December 4,
2023, with Pat Tompkins abstaining, as he was not present at that meeting.
Roll call vote: Ed Ross - Yes, Nancy Twomey - Yes, Pat Tompkins - Abstain, Greg
Stepler - Yes, Karen Gately Herrick - Yes, Carla Nazzaro - Yes.
Future Agenda Items and Next Meeting Dates
On a motion by Karen Gately Herrick, seconded by Greg Stepler, the Killam School
Building Committee voted 6-0 to adjourn at 6:40 Pm.
Roll call vote: Ed Ross - Yes, Pat Tompkins - Yes, Nancy Twomey - Yes, Greg
Stepler - Yes, Karen Gately Herrick - Yes, Carla Nazzaro - Yes.
Paye 1 3