HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-08 ad Hoc - Killam School Building Committee Minutes �,� °`x<•\ RECEIVED
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Permanent euilding Committee Killam School Building Commi[tee
Date: 2024-07-OB Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Mee[ing Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Carla Nazzaro, John Coote, Chris Haley, Kirk Mdormick, Sarah
MCLaughlin (remote), Ed Ross, Greg Stepler, Pat Tompkins, Nancy Twomey
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Colliers Project Manager Shirley Ng (remote), Colliers Project Direc[or Mike
Carroll, LBA Projec[ Manager Jenni Katajamaki, LBA Architect Leigh
Sherwood, Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Assistant Town Manager]ayne
Wellman, School Superintendent Tom Milaschewski, Doctoral Resident
earbara Best, Killam Principal Lindsay Fulton, Director of Facilities Joe
Huggins (remo[e), Assistant Direc[or of Facilities Kevin Cabuzzi (remote),
Mollie O'Keeffe -RMLD (remote);
School Commit[ee Members: Chair Tom Wise, Vice Chair Erin Gaffen, Shawn
Brandt (remote);
Meghan Young, Gena Pilyaysky, Rebecca Bailey, Angela Binda, Jeff Dietz,
Karen Ga[ely Herrick, Geoffrey Coram, Melissa Murphy (remote), Donna
Brewer (remote), Eleanor Sedor (remote)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde
7apics of Discussion:
This meetinq was held in-person in the Town Hall Select Board Meeting Room and remo[ely
via Zoom.
Call to order
Carla Nazzaro called [he meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Roll call: Sarah MCLaughlin (remote), John Coote, Kirk MCCormick, Ed Ross, Greg Stepler,
Pat Tompkins, Nancy Twomey, Chris Haley, Carla Nazzaro.
School Committee Chair Tom Wise called the School Committee to order at 7:00 pm.
Roll call: Sarah MCLaughlin (remote), Carla Nazzaro, Shawn Brandt (remote), Tom Wise.
Erin Gaffen joined the meeting shortly aker roll call.
Ms. Nazzaro introduced new member Chris Haley to the KSBC and thanked Karen Gately
Herrick for all of her work on the Commit[ee.
Public Comment
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Angela Binda of 10 Orchard Park Drive shared draft meeting minutes of the School Building
Appointment Committee from )une 2022. She s[a[ed tha[ she hoped a legal opinion was
not Pormed based on draft minu[es, and shared her reasons Por requesting Karen Ga[ely
Herrick not be removed from [he Committee.
Gena Pilyaysky of 3 Harriman Avenue shared his experience following [he process ot the
KSBC. He expressed his disappointment at Ms. Herrick's removal by the Select Board and
questioned the impact of her removal on the project and in the mmmunity.
Rebecca Bailey of 17 Forest Glen Road read a statement from her neighbor, Tara Gregory of
Pleasant Street, who was unable [o attend this evening's mee[ing, and noted that she
agreed with the sentiments of the letter. Mx. Gregory's letter ezpressed their discontent
with Ms. Herrick's removal and the removal process from the KSBC, and noted M5. Herrick'S
contributions to the projec[.
Meghan Young addressed the Committee and expressed her disappointment with the way
Ms. Herrick was removed from the Committee. She encouraged the mmmittee [o take the
appropriate actions and make decisions as a committee not as individuals.
]effrey Dietz of 10 Orchard Park Drive expressed his disappointmen[ with the apparent
poli[ics involved with Ms. Herrick's removal from the Committee.
Karen Gatety Herrick of the Select Board, 9 Dividence Road, s[ated that she does not
believe the action to remove her was taken correctly. She reques[ed that the School
Building Appointment Committee follow [he procedure outlined in the Charter. She also
noted that the MSBA says tha[ the applicant should make a reasonable effort [o ensure [he
continuiry of inembership of the School Building Committee for the life of the project.
Ms. Nazzaro stated tha[ it has been difficult balancing the transparency to the committee
and to the constituentr, in addition to meeting the needs of the project, and being
respectful of those involved.
KSBC Liaison Reoorts
No reports.
KartoonEDU Video Content Discussion
Superintendent Dr. Tom Milaschewski introduced Barbara Best who will be a doc[oral
resident in the district for the upcoming year.
Dr. Milaschewski explained that the intent of the videos crea[ed by KartoonEDU is to provide
factual information about the project, and there is nothing in the videos tha[ can push
vo[ers one way or another or promote a social agenda. Dave Kartunen has created such
videos for several other communi[ies, and will be producing six videos Por Reading. Dr.
Milaschewski reassured the Committee tha[ the videos will not push Por a vo[e one way or
ano[her.
Colliers Project Director Mike Carroll noted that the team working on these videos has
worked with the Attorney General's Office to ensure there is no bias one way or [he other in
the videos.
Full Pre-K: Under One Roof
Dr. Milaschewski explained that RISE is [he integrated preschool program in the community
that serves studen[s with and withou[ disabili[ies. It is tuition-based, [hough i[ is free of
wst for studen[s wi[h disabilities. There are ten dass sections across three si[es [wo at
wood End, three classes at Killam, and the rest in the basement of the High School. There
are 150 students and a waitlist of 64 tuition-based students. The need is ezpected m
increase in [he coming years.
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Consolidating all RISE dasses at the new Killam would benefit the community in several
ways. Having RISE under one roof would bring appropriate oversite, ensure consistency in
curriculum, enable and encourage collaboration across staff, allow s[aff to more effectively
allocate resources, s[reamline administration and support, enhance family engagement, and
provide easier and better access to support and services that are currently sVetched across
three sites. It will also benefit the district by opening up two dassrooms at Wood End,
which will help anticipated future enrollment increases and growing student needs; and
freeing up space at the High School [hat can be used to expand, and open grant funding
opportunities for, [he Innovative Pathways program.
It consolidated, there will be two additional RISE classrooms at the Killam, which will not
eliminate the waitlist, bu[ will provide spaces for abou[ 20 to 30 more s[udents.
Desianer Reoort
LBA Project Manager Jenni Katajamaki stated that the goal for this evening is to reduce [he
number of options. Tasks completed since the Committee last me[ include: HVAC system
selection in process, met with Reading Fire Departmen[ on access requiremen[s, and work
to reduce options to continue to advance the design. LBA anticipated that the MSBA would
have completed [heir review of the PDP a week ago, so the OPM contacted MSBA for an
update. Cos[ estimates are coming up, which is why it is important to reduce the options.
Pre-K Cost Anatysis
Ms. Katajamaki reviewed the [otal project budge[ and focused on reimbursable portions of
the RISE spaces. Using [he mmpact three-story scheme Bl with full pre-k and scheme B2
with partial pre-k for comparison the to[al project cost Por Bl is estimated at $lll miilion to
$136 million, with [he Town share estimated between $79 million and $98 million. The
estimated Pre-K cost is between $13.2 million and $16.8 million, with the Town share being
$8.8 million to $12 million.
Options Reduction Stretegy
Ms. Katajamaki and LBA Architect Leigh Sherwood reviewed [he revision criteria for the
Committee induding building height and scale, footprint, internal organization, phasinq and
swing space and Pre-K enrollmen[s. They also reviewed the floor plans, site plans of the six
Pre-K options and four partial Pre-K options and asked the Committee to advise which
options to investigate further. The Commit[ee discussed and the consensus was to pursue
options with full Pre-K.
Nancy 7womey made a guidance motion for [he designer to further explore new
school aptions B3 and E2, with full pre-k enrollment. Both will utilize the new E2
site design. The motion was seconded by Ed Ross.
Roll call vote: Chris Haley - Yes, Kirk McCormick - Yes, Nancy Twomey - Yes, ]ohn
Coote - Ves, Pat Tompkins - Yes, Ed Ross - Yes, Greg Stepler - Ves, Sarah
McLaughlin - Yes, Carla Nazzaro - Ves.
A�oroval of Prior Meetina Minutes
On a motion by Nancy 7womey, seconded by Pat Tompkins, the Killam School
Building Committee voted 6-0-3 to approve the meeting minutes of June 17, 2024
as submitted, with Kirk McCormick, Sarah MCLaughlin, and Chris Haley abstaining,
as they were not present at that meeting.
Roll call vote: Kirk McCormick - Abstain, Sarah MCLaughlin - Abstain, ]ohn Coote -
Yes, Ed Ross - Ves, Greg Stepler - Yes, Pat Tompkins - Ves, Nancy Twomey - Yes,
Chris Haley - Abstain, Carla Nazzaro - Ves.
Future Aaenda Items and Next Meetina Dates
Membere requested a discussion on the removal of inember Karen Herrick, a discussion on
reorganizing, a discussion on [he roles and responsibili[ies of the Committee members and
the Chair, and discussion on the Appointment Committee, nomination process, and MSBA
requiremen[s. The OPM will also be discussing the PSR at upcoming meetings, and will seek
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guidance on whether to pursue the CM At-Risk or Design-Build-Build process for
construction.
On a motion by Erin Gaffen, seconded by Carla Nazzaro, the School Committee
voted 5-0-0 to adjourn at 9:18 pm.
Roll call vate: Sarah McLaughlin - Ves, Shawn Brandt - Yes, Carla Nazzaro - Ves,
Tom Wise - Ves, Erin Gaffen - Ves.
On a motion by Ed Ross, seconded by Greg Stepler, the Killam School Building
Committee voted 9-0-0 to adjourn at 9:18 pm.
Roll call vote: )ohn Coote - Yes, Kirk McCormick - Ves, Sarah Mclaughlin - Yes, Ed
Ross - Ves, Greg Stepler - Yes, Pat Tompkins - Ves, Nancy Twomey - Yes, Chris
Haley - Yes, Carla Nazzaro - Yes.
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