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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-07-08 ad Hoc - Municipal Building Committee Minutes2 _ J ipv, "R _ Ad Hoc Municipal Building Committee Meeting July 8, 2010 3 2-- 31 The meeting convened at 7:30 PM at the Reading Senior Center at 49 Pleasant Street, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman and School Committee member David Michaud, Selectman Rick Schubert, Library Board member Vicki Yablonsky, Finance Committee member George Hines, resident Kathleen Dugan and Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner. Also present was Dawn Folopoulos, Administrator and Ann Gentile, Clerk. Senior Center Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner began by informing the committee that the senior center was the first general purpose building in Reading. The lower level.was police and the upper level was the fire department and the third level was the library and accounting offices. In 1929 the police station was built next door and the fire department left in 1993. Reading received a federal grant to renovate the building which was 110% of the renovation plus bonus for finishing on time. The building was restored to its original appearance of the 2 bay garages. The floor was reinforced due to sagging because of the fire equipment. Operationally the staff from Health and Human Services is located in the senior center, although there is other staff located in Town Hall. Community Room This room holds about 70 chairs and can seat 20 at lunch. As with other town buildings, thee have been performance contracting measures for energy efficiency such as weather, stripping and lighting. It was noted that the heating system is older, installed in 1993. George Hines noted that daylight is visible through the panels. Peter Hechenbleikner noted that there is constant maintenance. Rich Schubert asked if they charged a fee for outside use of the room for group meetings. Fees are $10 for a community based organization and $250 for private use (such as baby showers) to cover custodial fees. They recently installed a new audio system. Kitchen The kitchen is not compliant for cooking or food preparation use. Daily meals are brought in and served out of the kitchen. The dishwasher is fairly new and the millwork appeared in good condition. Peter Hechenbleikner offered to check into why the kitchen was not compliant to use in full. The stove has a hood and fire system above it. The flooring is slip resistant commercial grade. Bathrooms Bathrooms are only located on the lower level and the 3`d floor. No restrooms on the main floor. The bathroom on the 3`d floor was redone in the renovation. 3`d Floor The 3`d level serves as a TV room, for meeting space, workshops and small group discussions. There is a dividing door that can open to expand 2 rooms into one for social functions. There is a small office space for the coordinator, van driver and nurse advocate. There is an arts and crafts room, with VCT flooring. The millwork is aging. The attic is unusable - it is filled with HVAC equipment. Exterior and Parking Roof has been replaced with slate. Two emergency exits were added to bring the building to code at the time of the renovation. Dawn Folopoulos indicated that parking is a very serious concern. Currently there are 14 reserved spots and 13 designated for seniors. The street parking is limited to 2 hours. Rick Schubert asked about the projected growth with regard to use of the facility. Dawn Folopoulos indicated that they already restrict programs, but that she would have to look into any projections. Peter Hechenbleikner noted that the average age of the center participant is 80. Town Hall Peter Hechenbleikner informed the committee that Town Hall and the old library were separate buildings until a renovation in the early 1990's when there was a connector built and both buildings were renovated. The roof is real slate on both buildings and is over 100 years old. There has been a lot of performance contracting including boilers, air conditioning, weather stripping, insulation in the attic and the windows were restored over 4-5 years. Top Floor There is open office space and the collector/assessors office. There are 2 roll up doors and one glass door. Peter Hechenbleikner indicated they would all be roll up. Also here is the clerk, veterans services, IT. Bottom Floor Houses the employee lounge, central mail room, engineering, custodial storage, recreation department, historical room archive, recreation and election storage. Engineering - gets water because the steps are pitched backwards so the water collects. Peter Hechenbleikner indicated that given money, he would put a bathroom in this area. He also indicated that should the town gain the current Christian Science church, the idea would be to move the recreation department and turn it into a recreation center. 2 nd Floor Houses management, community services, health and human services, building inspection, plumbing. Composed of all cubicles barring a couple of offices for functions of a confidential nature. The flooring is pretty beat up (1990 installation). David Michaud asked when the Christian Science church goes to market, how much would it list. Peter Hechenbleikner replied 1 -1.2 M. Vicki Yablonsky asked what the square footage of the church was. Peter Hechenbleikner replied approximately 10,000 sq. ft. He also indicated that they have an agreement with the church that people can park there on Sundays.. There has been very little done to Town Hall since the renovation. There is no alarm system in either Town Hall or the Senior Center. On motion by Rick Schubert and seconded by George Hines, the minutes from 6/10/2010`were approved as amended. On motion by George Hines and seconded by Rick Schubert, the minutes from 6/24/2010 were approved. Other Business The committee will next meet August 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Oakland Road property. Peter Hechenbleikner indicated that there will be GIS maps to reference. David Michaud commented that the group would not meet after the property tour, but would reconvene in September to develop an agenda for moving forward. On motion by Rick Schubert and seconded by Vicki Yablonsky, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 on a vote of 5-0-0. Respectfully Submitted Secretary