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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-05-13 ad Hoc - Municipal Building Committee MinutesMINUTES Ad Hoc Municipal Building Committee Meeting t=, May 13, 2010 3 0 2: 31 The meeting convened at 7:30 PM at Fire Station 2 located at 267 Woburn 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 Andrew Grimes, resident Kathleen Dugan and Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner. Also present were Fire Chief Gregory Burns, Deputy Fire Chief Mark Deguire and Police Chief James Cormier. Fire Station 2 The committee toured Fire Station 2. There are 2 engines housed there - one primary and one reserve. -George Hines asked if the Fire Chief felt there were any building deficiencies, or any needs that are not being met. The Fire Chief responded that the electrical system was updated 4 years ago, a recent Noresco upgrade, windows updated recently, new heating system, and the kitchen and showers meet their needs operationally, although the male showers could use refurbishing - only one of 3 showers currently work. The ladder truck does not fit in fire station 2 due to ceiling height, but none of the other trucks have problems. Fire Chief Burns also informed the committee that the dividing line for primary response in town is the train tracks, and there is occasionally a 2 station response. -Rick Schubert asked if there is any need for a 2nd ladder truck. Fire Chief Burns responded no. -George Hines asked if building has a sprinkler system Fire Chief Burns responded yes. Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner commented that there are new doors, trim and gutter work that has been done on the building. -Vicki Yablonsky asked how many firefighters worked in the building. Fire Chief Burns responded 3. Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner commented that he has been approached by cell phone companies to place a tower which has not really been addressed at this time. Chairman David Michaud asked how much we could lease the space for the tower. Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner replied that it would lease for 20 - 25K minimum. It is a complicated process involving public notice and meetings. The station also houses a mobile educational vehicle through a metro agreement with 39 communities around Boston that travels around to teach children about fire safety (Metrofire Kids Fire Safety). -George Hines asked if there was other space in the building we had not seen. Fire Chief Burns responded that there is attic space that is being used for long term storage needs. He also commented that all the radio systems were grounded properly. -George Hines asked about the condition of the roof. Fire Chief Burns responded that the roof is getting older and it has leaked. It is on the capital plan to be replaced. Fire Station 1 The committee then moved to Fire Station 1 located at 757 Main Street, Reading, MA. The l St floor is a small underground garage. The main unit houses newer fire engines - including the ladder engine - and ambulances. Fire Chief Burns commented that the heating system is about 20 years old. There is an expanded vehicle exhaust system. There is a newer cardio workout room, with donated equipment and some equipment bought with grant money. The top floor is administrative offices. The kitchen was redone in 1997, mostly done by the firefighters. The facilities department pitches in with aesthetic improvements such as small repairs, paint, and carpet. -Rick Schubert asked about the maximum number of firefighters the station could accommodate. Fire Chief Burns replied that there are 7 firefighters currently working from that location and it could accommodate 9. Fire Station 2 has 3 firefighters and could accommodate 5 if needed. There were many committee member comments about the excellent care of the building and the care retaining many historical photos and artifacts related to the Reading Fire Department. Police Station The committee then moved to the Police Station located at 15 Union Street, Reading, MA. Police Chief Cormier led the tour through the facility. The 1St floor is the lobby, public interview room, community training room and public access to information. The community training room is also the Emergency Operating Center in the event of a local disaster. Additionally it is used by the community for numerous reasons. The furniture in that room is aging and the carpet is in the capital plan to be replaced. There is a card system to access other parts of the building -access to different areas is dependent on position. Also in the basement are the Radio and equipment room and an emergency generator room. The town IT Department maintains the equipment. There is also a gym, with mostly donated equipment. The Main floor consists of a kitchen area, which Chief Cormier believes is in good condition. Also on the 2"d floor is the roll call room, the holding cells (a good facility compared to other nearby municipalities), and the dispatch room. The FFE in the dispatch room was replaced about 5 years ago. The room also includes a bathroom. It was noted that Reading has a combined Fire and Police dispatch to better coordinate in the event of a catastrophic occurrence. Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner commented that there were areas of large savings through value engineering when the building was designed. First the hallways were made narrower than the original design, which added more usable square footage. Additionally the private offices were changed to shared work spaces to maximize the space for rotating work shifts. -Chairman David Michaud asked Chief Cormier if there was anything else he wishes he had. Chief Cormier responded that parking is really the only issue as it is very restricted. He commented that he feels fortunate and that it is a great facility that has held up well - there have been no major issues. -Chairman David Michaud asked how many years were left in the building. Chief Cormier responded that he thought about 40,years, with proper maintenance. Other Business There was a motion by George Hines to approve the amended Minutes of 4/1/2010, seconded by Rick Schubert. Minutes approved by a vote of 6-0-0. There was a motion by Andrew Grimes to approve the Minutes of 4/15/2010, seconded by Rick Schubert. Minutes approved by a vote of 6-0-0. The committee will next meet May 27, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Department of Public Works. On motion by Rick Schubert and seconded by Andrew Grimes, the meeting was adjourned at 9:25 PM on a vote of 6-0-0. Respectfully Submitted Secretary